And because I'm so proud of this little poem, I think I'll just keep using it :)

D on't sue me,
I don't own Digimon.
S o you won't get a thing
C ause I'm broke as hell,
L ike I was when I began.
A nd if you take this disclaimer
I will hunt you down and flame you.
M ine! My poem disclaimer!
E njoy this next part of the fic, and
R EAD AND REVIEW PLEASE!

"Ok, you lost me there, you ran from what to what?" Kari asked puzzled.

"Oh, well, I might as well start off from the very beginning…."

Three arms full of fruit and berries later….

"…and that's about it, more or less… although I can't really recall the conversation we had after he said that he'd sacrifice himself over killing one of us by his word." Mimi finished as they walked back to the cave.

"Hmmm… now I wonder…." Kari said under her breath.

"Wonder what?" Both T.K. and Mimi asked.

"I wonder if Matt was lying this morning…."

"You mean you think that he…" Mimi inquired.

"Exactly," T.K. proclaimed, backing his girlfriend up. "I think that he's just afraid to open up. He's done that to a lot of people, I've noticed. Don't worry, he'll come around."

'I hope….' Kari and T.K. thought simultaneously, looking at each other out of the corner of their eye.

"You think so?" Mimi asked, nervously biting her lower lip.

"Yeah, positive," T.K. lied.

By this time, they had come close to the entrance, and it was no longer safe to talk for fear of the echo from the cave. Upon entering, they discovered that everyone had been busy. There were three huge piles of firewood, and there was already a blaze in the remains of the previous fire. The cave was now illuminated with light, and the shadowy figures of their friends were pasted like black beings in the edge of the light, scurrying about like little lost ants on a mission.

"Where's Matt?" Sora asked, glancing up from what she was doing. The three of them quickly put their fingers to their lips, warning her to keep quiet. Kari quickly explained what was going on in a soft whisper, and Sora nodded her head, showing that she understood. Turning to Mimi, she whispered,

"I think he likes you,"

Mimi shook her head, telling her friend that she didn't agree with her.

"No, seriously, I think he does. Why else would he be doing this for you?"

"Because he wants to be my friend," she replied sadly. However, Sora didn't quite catch the tone of her voice, so she nodded; turning her head back to the pile of wood she was finishing sorting. Mimi sighed, and after taking the pile of food over to Izzy, Joe, and Tai, she sat down to take a quick rest against one of the stalagmites that were growing up from the ground. She yawned, and she tried to think of the day. She'd had fun today, although Matt and she had fought a little. Ok, maybe a bit more than a little. But he didn't hate her did he? Wasn't that good enough?

'No, he'll never think of me as anything other than a friend, will he?' She sighed, trying to lose herself in another daydream. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't seem to find anything that she really enjoyed that fit her current position. With the exception of one, she couldn't think of anything at that moment. But the daydream she imagined wasn't of him rescuing her. No in fact, it was quite the opposite. Instead of being rescued, she imagined being swallowed whole by a huge black beast, and just as it closed its mouth around her, she heard a voice crying out to her, saying 'Bye Mimi, I picked T.K. over you; don't get upset and start crying like a baby again, ok?' She shuddered, even thinking about that made her sick to her stomach.

Sora came over a few minutes later, telling her that dinner was ready, and soullessly, she headed over to where everyone had now gathered around the fire. She took a few pieces of fruit and ate them, and then she made a small pile of food to save for Matt. See? He probably hated her, and yet, she still was nice to him. What was wrong with her? She should be as cold as him, not as nice as she was being. But she felt that she'd owe him for getting her bag for her, so she continued to eat something and put another in the pile in one of her napkins that Joe had found in the survival bag that was in her pocket.

"Wow Mimi, you sure are eating a lot," Tai commented. "Aren't you afraid that you'll become really fat?"

"TAI!" Sora yelled at him, warning him to shut up. "Are you saying that she's already fat?"

"…No. If anything she's too skinny and it's about time that she gained more weight and…" Sora gave him an evil glare. "No! That's not right; I take it back! I'm sorry!"

But the pain was already dealt out, and there was nothing to be done about it. Mimi gritted her teeth, and continued to eat a little more, even though her appetite had been lost. After a few more minutes of silent eating (A/N: Well, as silent as you can get with Tai eating…), everyone had finished their meal, and sat around the fire talking quietly. No one noticed Mimi get up and head to the back of the cave. This really made her feel even worse than before, and as she was tired, she lay down to sleep. This dream, however, was far from what she had hoped to dream of- everyone was watching as she was gobbled up by a black shadow, Tai yelling that he was glad she was fat because it had saved their lives, and Matt picking up T.K. and leading him away, turning his back on her. She found herself sinking into the dark abyss that had swallowed her, and feared for one terrifying moment that it wasn't a dream, that she was indeed being eaten alive. 'No, no, no, no, no, no, no…' she cried over and over in her mind, trying to wake herself up from what she prayed with all her might really was a nightmare…

Meanwhile…

The rest of the Digidestined children had stacked the rest of the wood onto the fire and made their way back towards Mimi had fallen asleep. Watch rounds had been established, and after about an hour, the team had left Tai sat with his back against the wall of the cave, looking outside at the rain clouds roll in, blocking the moon and the stars from view. Matt had yet to make an appearance, and Tai had left Sora to comfort T.K. in his absence. He could still hear the little boy tossing and turning in a fit of sleep, and he turned towards the noise, hoping to see Sora in her mothering act, attempting to soothe him. But much to his surprise, he found that it was not T.K. in fact who was rolling around, but Mimi.

Unnerved, he clambered back to his feet and slowly stole over to where she was sleeping fitfully. He could see beads of sweat on her brow, and her face was crinkled up as if she were in pain. He looked around for someone, anyone, who could have helped her, but everyone lay in quiet slumber. It looked like he would have to do something about it then.

Catching sight of the water bottle that lay by the fire, he reached over to it, hoping that some of the cold water remained from dinner. But there were only perhaps a few drops left, barely enough to even dampen the handkerchief he'd seen laying by her side. Tai sighed, almost completely at a loss. But he reached up and stroked her brow in what he thought would be a comforting way.

But Mimi cried out softly at the touch, and Tai lurched his hand back, afraid that he'd hurt her somehow. He appeared to be doing that often lately, and it shamed him. He hadn't meant to be rude at dinner, but he had this terrible habit of saying the wrong thing. And he certainly hadn't meant to leave Mimi behind, he'd been worried sick about Agumon and the rest of their Digimon pals. Not to mention Kari, who had seemed so distraught that Tai had feared she might get sick again.

"…why me? … Tai? …why … you let …die?" she asked him even in her sleep, and he stood up quickly, his guilty conscience causing him to lose his courage and flee back to his place at the wall. Horrified at her words and more ashamed of himself at his mistakes, he sat down and wept softly, trying not to let anyone overhear his tears.

How long he sat like that, he knew not, but after what felt like hours he felt a soft, comforting hand on his back, gently soothing him as his tears fell quietly to the cavern's hard rock floor. He flinched and pulled away from that hand, mortified of how he, the bearer of courage, must look to whoever it was. He heard a light sigh, and then felt arms being wrapped around him warmly from behind. He could feel their chin now resting on his shoulder as their hands gently stroked his arms soothingly. For a brief moment, he stopped his tears in delight at the touch, and he fought to stay upright as the soft feeling caused him to go limp. He slumped against the person, unable to control his muscles any longer. But upon hearing a suppressed laugh, he jerked up and away, realizing what must be happening.

"Matt, I am going to kill you!" Tai whispered fiercely, not wanting to wake up Sora or the others. "I am not gay, and you impersonating Sora just to get at me just goes too far, you sick little per-"

A/N: Ha ha ha, I know, I'm evil. But oh well. Unless you want Matt and Tai to be gay lovers in this story, might I suggest you review?

:D