Author's Note: I'm so sorry that these updates are taking so long. I've been so overwhelmed with school lately but hopefully, this chapter makes up for the wait and I give two, big "Thank yous" go out to crestoflight3 and Aveza for your reviews!

Circuits

Justified

Tai and Kari nearly choked on their breath when they heard those words leave their father's lips. Already, the worst possible thought was simmering in their minds:

Did Dad do away with Matt?

"Y-yeah, Dad," Tai answered, masking his nervousness, "Kari and I were wondering…"

"He wasn't here when we came home," Kari quickly added, "Did something happen?"

"Matt left." Susumu replied.

Though they knew, both of the Kamiya siblings kept silent, in fear of revealing what Matt had told them.

"Why did he leave?" asked Kari.

Susumu's eyes gleamed with satisfaction.

"He wasn't needed here anymore. It's as simple as that."

Tai found himself shaking with rage, hearing those words.

Matt did nothing wrong… he thought, watching his father's cheerful expression with disgust, and you know it!

Clutching the table, Tai began to tighten his grip, trying to suppress his anger but Susumu took notice of his son's abrupt change in behavior.

"Son, what's wrong?"

Tai didn't answer.

Instead, he bent his head down, biting hard on his lips to keep himself from lashing out at Susumu for his lack of concern regarding Matt.

Kari silently watched her brother with growing worry; she felt herself becoming tense and could practically feel the angry aura coming off of him as her eyes stayed locked on his trembling form. Though she understood why Tai was angry, both of them could not give away what they already knew from Matt.

As she watched Susumu slowly extend a hand towards his eldest son, Kari knew that Tai's rage couldn't be held back any longer.

Just as their father's fingers were reaching towards Tai's clenched fist, Kari broke her silence.

"I did well on my math test today!" she blurted out.

Both father and son were caught off guard by her sudden outburst but it managed to break through Tai's silent fury.

"Umm…good job, Kari," praised Susumu, taken aback by her random sentence.

He then turned back to Tai. "Was something bothering you earlier, Son?"

"N-No!" Tai replied hastily, "I-it was nothing! I'm f-fine!"

"Are you sure?"

"Really!"

Susumu looked at both of his children strangely.

At that moment, both Tai and Kari asked if they could leave the table to go and finish their homework, and with a nod, Susumu let them and went back to finishing his dinner.

What are they so nervous about? He wondered, They should be happy now that the thing is gone and yet they're not… I know that they were growing attached to it but…

Are they hiding something?

…

"You're a lifesaver, Kari." Tai sighed, closing to door of her room behind him.

"I-I almost…I was just so angry…I-"

"It's okay, Tai," Kari replied softly, "It's okay."

"Still," the older boy said, relaxing a bit, "I couldn't get over how callous Dad was when he was talking about Matt."

"Yes," Kari added, "How could Dad be so heartless?"

"It's just like Matt told us," Tai answered, "Dad believes that he killed Mom."

Kari paused, then her eyes widened. "Tai…"

"What?"

"I really…don't think that Dad has destroyed Matt…"

Tai stared at the short-haired girl, confused.

"Huh? Kari, are you sure? He seemed pretty boastful about it when he came home today."

But Kari stayed firm with her intuition.

"Matt's still out there," she stated, "unharmed."

Tai's confusion faded, seeing her confidence not wavering.

"You haven't been wrong yet, Kari," he said, smiling proudly at his younger sister's determination.

"We'll get him back."

Later during the night, the Kamiya siblings began researching online for hospitals that had information regarding their mother's first outbreak of cancer. They were able to pinpoint records of their mother's treatments to a hospital that was not far from the Odaiba district as well as being a former patient to one of the doctors who worked there.

"Tai, isn't that hospital where Joe's dad works at?" Kari asked.

Tai's chocolate brown eyes widened with excitement.

"It is!" he declared, "Maybe Joe's dad might know the doctor who treated Mom!"

Kari felt her heart leap in her chest. After writing down the information and continuing their plan for tomorrow, she was almost too happy to fall asleep. Until, she finally dozed with smile on her face.

….

The next day afterschool, Tai and Kari paid a visit to Joe's apartment home and showed him the doctor's name.

"That's my Dad's old coworker!" Joe exclaimed with surprise.

"Does he still work over there?" asked Tai, eagerly.

The blue-haired teen nodded, "Yeah, I think that I might be able to get a copy of your mom's records for you."

True to his word, the Bearer of Reliability gave the pair a copy of their late mother's medical records the following day.

Tai and Kari weren't able to thank Joe enough for his cooperation.

Things were finally going their way after all.

Just as they were getting everything ready, something in their parents' bedroom caught Kari's eye. Curiously, she stepped into the room, and there lying near the bed was an old, faded book. Skimming through the yellowed pages, her eyes widened.

"Tai, look what I've found!" she called.

The bushy-haired teen raced into the room, joining his sister.

"Kari, what is it?" the older boy asked.

"This…" she started, "this is…Mom's diary when she was in high school!"

She quickly turned several pages and read several crucial entries aloud to him:

"'April 3rd, 1982, I've been feeling sick for a couple of days but I don't know why. Mom's scheduled an appointment for me a few days from now, hoping that the doctor could find out the problem.

"'April 18th, 1982, My results came back, I'm sick, already in the first stage of cancer. I couldn't believe it…even now as I'm writing…Mom pleaded with the doctor to check again, hoping that he was wrong but her efforts were in vain…The result was always the same and according to the doctor, my chemotherapy treatments will begin very soon.

"'June 23rd, 1982, I...I'm so tired…and chemotherapy…is doing more…harm…than good…

Kari paused, brushing a stray tear from her eye as she read one more page.

"'October 9th, 1983, I'm finally free! My cancer has gone into remission! I've never been so happy in my life!'"

"This is it!" The Bearer of Courage cried, "This is exactly what we need! Dad would have to believe us once he reads this!"

"Once I read what?"

The siblings gasped as they turned and found themselves facing their father.

"I've been suspecting that you two have been keeping something from me."

"Well, Dad," Tai began, "There's something that Kari and I want to talk to you about."

"What?" Susumu asked.

Kari joined in. "Well, it's about Mom's cancer."

Before Susumu could speak, Tai spoke up again.

"When Mom was diagnosed with cancer, she said that this wasn't her first battle against the disease. And these records prove it."

After handing the items to their father, Tai and Kari watched in silence, nearly holding their breath as Susumu began to read. For at least five minutes, the Kamiya siblings prepared themselves for a response from Susumu.

Then he stopped. Tears were running down his face.

"Yuuko…wasn't lying…" he whispered, "And neither…was Matt…"

Slowly, Susumu turned his watery gaze towards his children. Since they bought Matt, Tai and Kari had never doubted nor questioned the sincerity of Matt's words and actions. And now, the work that they had put together had justified the robot's innocence.

I was looking for somebody to blame when she died! But I didn't realize that I was angry at myself for failing her as a husband unable to provide and care for her…

He took in a deep breath.

"Kids," he said, softly, "Matt didn't leave on his own. I was so blinded by grief and anger that I sent him away."

Susumu lowered his head in shame.

"And I threatened to destroy him if he ever returned."

Kari gave a small gasp and felt Tai's grip on her shoulder tighten. Now they knew why Matt refused to say more after revealing his abrupt dismissal.

"Dad, we've got to go and find Matt!" Tai cried, "He needs to come home!"

"But where could he have gone, Son?" Susumu questioned glumly, "He could be anywhere…"

-To be continued…