a/n note: I originally tried to write a little prologue to this. To give the audience a better idea how Daisuke changed. But honestly I struggled to give a good scenario without making Daisuke out of character. So I decided to just write the ending of this story without it. It flows better to me that way. Anyay, enjoy.

Taichi leaned back in his office chair, hands behind his head. He sighed looking around the office he shared with Yamato. It had been a few weeks since the fight with Eosmon. Without much they could do, he and Yamato, with much arguing, decided to develop an organization to help unite humans and Digimon.

"Daisuke…" Taichi sighed grabbing his phone.

Dialing a number, he put the phone to his ear.

"Hello, Meiko speaking."

"Hey, Mochizuki. When are you going to be in town next?"

"Oh, Taichi. Um, later this week. Mimi wanted me to come and try on clothes for her blog."

"Oh, great. I need your help with something…"

A week later Meiko got off the train and made her way to Hikari's place. Since Taichi moved out a few years ago, Hikari offered to let Meiko stay over whenever she wanted, since it was the least she could do. With a response like that, how could she say no?

Even after all these years, that guilt still clung to them.

She knocked on Hikari's door. "Oh, Meiko, you're here." Hikari smiled opening the door ushering her in. "can I get you anything to drink?"

"Oh, no. That's fine. I was going to go to Mimi's from here. I probably won't be back until late." She smiled waving her hands in protest. She paused after placing her things down. "Again, thanks for everything." She gave Hikari a warm smile.

Hikari shook her head. "It's always my pleasure."

Later that night Daisuke was kicking a soccer ball around the courtyard in front of his apartment complex. He was in deep thought about the last few times they had to deal with a Digimon. Their team was left to take of Digimon that got through Digital Gates into real world. He noticed Iori and Ken would give sympathetic looks every now and then.

He didn't understand why. Hikari and Takeru were the strongest now and veterans. There was no reason why they needed him to bark orders.

It was true he gave the goggles back years ago. But with Taichi and yamato being ones to take down Eosmon a while back. It was evident they didn't him as a leader.

"Oh, Daisuke?" He heard a girls voice call to him and turned around to see Meiko standing there with a big bag in her hands.

"Oh, Meiko…" He dribbled the ball towards her. "What are you doing out this late?"

"I just got done at Mimi's. She and Sora wanted me to try things on for Mimi's blog."

"Oh yeah. That's right. Sora's getting into Kimono making, huh? Ever since then."

"…Yeah. Why don't we talk for a second?" She motioned to the bench.

Daisuke blinked. "Yeah. Sure."

They sat on the bench in silence. Daisuke bouncing the ball with his feet.

"Do you resent me?"

"Huh?" Daisuke dropped the ball, staring at Meiko in confusion.

She clutched the bag. "After all, you can say it was my fault that you and your friends got hurt by Maki and Alphamon. Not only that, but taken prisoner for months." She gave him a concerned look. "I know it's sudden. But we are all worried about you!"

"What? No! I can't hate you for that! That was all that crazy lady's fault!"

Meiko flinched.

"Sorry. But how can you expect me to hate you when that lady used and manipulated your partner for her own personal gain? You couldn't have possibly known what she was planning and to what extent. Blaming yourself for that is nuts!" Daisuke shouted.

Meiko stood up, standing in front of him, staring at him with stern eyes. "Then how can you blame yourself?! How can you possibly hate and blame yourself for the same thing?" Her shoulders shook. "Himekawa, Daigo, Meicoomon…." She closed her eyes lowering her head. "I blamed for a long time, saying if I had said something sooner, we could have stopped this. If I had told Koushirou about Himekawa's plan, or Meicoomon being the source of the infect, we could stopped it sooner and no one would have lost their lives."

Daisuke lowered his head in silence. He knew he had been going through the same scenarios in his head. He wished he could go back and change something in his actions, so his friends wouldn't have been in danger.

Her shoulders went limp. "But I know that I can't keep blaming myself. Because it won't change anything. It won't help anything and everything I experienced would have been a waste."

Tears were running down her face, she snorted remembering what Takeru told her those years ago. "It's not about what we should have done, it's about what we do now."

She reached in to her pocket and pulled out a pair of goggles. The ones Taichi wore in 2005. "That's why I'm working with Taichi and Yamato. To give them whatever research my father had on Meicoomon, and anything he could get from Maki and her research. Anything that could us in the future regarding the cube that man is in possession that was in Meicoomon. Information on the distortion and infections that Koushirou can research and find a cure for so what happened to Meicoomon can't happen again."

She brough the goggles close to her chest. "He gave these to me in case there were signs of distortions in the Tottori area. But that's why they are so important me. Even after everything that happened. Even though it was partly my fault. He is trusting me with something important. To help protect the world and make sure no human and Digimon partner have to go through the same torment I did. "

"Daisuke, isn't that what your goggles meant to you? Why you always wore them proudly?"

Daisuke couldn't say anything, his head turned away from Meiko.

"I just feel like… If I had done something sooner or differently…"

"Believe me, I know… If I had the courage to speak up sooner maybe we would have not lost anyone. I could have stopped Himekawa… Meicoomon and Daigo would still be alive."

She leaned down and put a hand on Daisuke's shoulder. "Sora told me that I can't just keep things bottled up. That I should lean on them for support. Because that's not good for us to keep it all inside."

"So, Daisuke. Please lean on us." Daisuke whirled around to a new voice behind him.

"Miyako?" He looked to see everyone from his team was there, plus Taichi.

"Yeah… We all wish we could have done something different then, Daisuke." Taichi stared at the ground.

"I still believe there was a way to save Meicoomon. That she didn't have to give up her life." Hikari cupped her hands together. "Even if all logic says it was the only way. I still believe their bond would have shone through!"

"We all have a heavy burden. Daisuke." Takeru smiled sadly. "Things we wish we had done, but were too scared to."

"We can get through this together. Just like always. Just like you came together for me all those years ago."

"Ken…" Daisuke stood up glancing at all of them.

"None of us hate you, Daisuke." Iori said. "We all trusted your judgement and still do." Most of the time

"So you shouldn't hate yourself." Taichi took the goggles out of his pocket. "So please. Take these back. You just aren't the same without them." Taichi extended his hand to him.

Daisuke's hand trembled as it laid on top of the goggles. "Besides. You guys are the only ones that can do this now."

He smiled sadly taking them from his idol. "Yeah…"

"Being a leader isn't always about making the easiest decision." Taichi glanced at Meiko. "Sometimes the right decision… Is the hardest. "

"We're all taking steps to a better future for all of us. It won't be easy, but…" Meiko joined the others. "We will have one another.

Daisuke stared at his goggles before placing them on his head. "Thanks, guys." He grinned.

Everyone beamed at him in response.

End note: Man, I nearly cried writing that ending. Hope you guys enjoyed. Maybe we'll get a 02 movie addressing Daisuke, Miyako, and Iori with Ultimate forms. Ken has a crest; Hikari and Takeru already have their ultimate forms.