A/N: So it is nearing the Christmas/Winter Holidays.

I am actually going back to MN for the holidays. My sister and I are flying in from Tokyo for two weeks. That was hella expensive!

Ah the fun of paying off a credit card for a few months! Anyway- you guys are in luck with an update!

Tai rounded a corridor and the room was in sight. He stopped and tried to figure out what he was going to do in there... he had to think... he couldn't just throw words around like last time.

Deciding it took too long, he kicked the door wide open. Stepping in he was furious. Who did these people think they were? Kidnapping someone, taking them anywhere against their will... unbelievable.

"Ah, Tai. We were expecting you. But you were rather fast." Matt said standing up.

Tai looked around the room. Sora was by herself away from a group of men sitting behind a table. It reminded him of the Senate hearings or maybe even a military tribunal. She was alone... facing a barrage of words and questions. Tai walked forward and jumped over the table. Walking closer to Sora he silently asked her if she was ok.

Getting a weak nod, Tai took her hand and helped her to her feet.

"Just where do you think you are going?" An outer clans member asked as he began to lead her towards the door.

"I am going home with my wife. So leave us alone." Tai said.

"What about the prophecy?" Someone yelled. Tai looked back at Sora. He silently asked her one last time. It was her call.

"There is no problem as far as I see it." Ryo said entering room.

"Ryo! What are you doing coming into important clan business like this?"

"I am defending my sister." The man simply said.

"What?"

"I have proof that Sora Takenouchi was born to my late mother."

"Ryo you dare bring shame to your family? How can you say such things?"

"Was my mother and infant sister not members of the group that was to meet the Takenouchi representatives? Mother returned injured and nearly dead... but my sister did not return with her! Look at her! How can you be so blind?"

"What is the meaning of all this?" Matt yelled not knowing what was going on in his meeting room. "Sora was born here. She grew up here. She is a Takenouchi."

"It's true." Came Sora's voice from behind Tai. Tai quickly turned his head away from the fighting men and to Sora. She was crying and shaking. Taking her hand, he gave her as much support as she needed.

"Sora?"

"It's ok... it is out in the open now anyway..." She said trying to steady herself. "I recently found out that my parents, Maiko and Takeshi Takenouchi could not have been my birth parents. My parents could not have children... I was brought back with the survivors of the Takenouchi clan and adopted as a child of the clan..."

"Sora?" Matt and others who knew her were shocked.

"She is my sister." Ryo smiled looking at her fondly. "I've always wanted to meet you. Mother told me of your calm temperament and firey eyes... you are everything she said about you and more."

"I... I..." Sora couldn't respond she was crying too hard. Tai instinctively pulled her close and stroked her hair soothingly.

"Everything is going to be all right." Tai told her. Looking over to Ryo, he didn't know if he should be mad at the younger man or to thank him for bringing this out.

"This... this changes nothing!" One man said trying to stand. But the shock of the bombshell that was just dropped was too much.

"What not?" Tai had to hold himself back otherwise he was tempted to jump the man and kill him right there. "She's part of your stupid clan, she's carrying my child and I love her. What more do you want?"

"She's... she's..."

"Give it up Uncle. She is your niece!" Ryo walked up to the older man and slapped him soundly. "Why do you always have to fight? Can't you see that there are more important things than technicalities and some prophecy that for all we know is made up!"

"Ryo? I..."

"I am happy for them. And aren't moments of happiness what make fighting and struggling worth the effort? Don't you see that we have allowed the walls to build up between each other. When we did that we let the bugs take over this world. But we have a chance now to stop it." Ryo looked over at Tai. "I thought that he was a worthless idiot that some dumb scroll said would help us... but now I see things differently. Without Tai, there wouldn't be all this trouble... but I am glad he caused trouble. Because now we can see our errors."

"But..."

"Can't we let them be happy? We've got our alliance. Even if you do not recognize Sora as one of the outside clans, we still are working side by side. And I don't think that's going to change."

"Tai," Matt said sitting down. "Take her home will you?"

Tai blinked. What the hell was going on exactly? They kidnap Sora and now she is free to go?

"We're not done talking, but for now... she needs rest." No one had to tell him twice.

The couple had good times and bad through the next months following the escalation and confrontation in the conference room.

Tai tried not to let the looks of disapproval from either side get to him as he worked with everyone to plan a better offensive against the bugs. Izzy had developed a better way at tracking them with samples of their physical make up left after the city was attacked. They had even sent out two missions where they attacked breeding grounds and other nests of sorts.

Tai found that as long as things were going well, he and Sora were left alone. And that was the way he liked it.

Rolling into bed with his wife of three months Tai felt that all the hard work and head aches were worth it. Not only were both clans getting along, but the elders finally accepted Sora as both a member of the outer clan and the rightful head of the Takenouchi clan.

Yet, the bad times found their time as well. One of the missions came back with heavy causalities, the other found that the bugs were growing in numbers faster than they were expected, the outer clan's main village had been attacked as well. Refugees had fled to the safety of this city and tensions were running high.

During it all, Tai still felt that there was friction between Ryo and Sora's uncle and the rest of the group. He alone caused most of the opposition to anything Tai said.

'He's a jack ass.' Tai sighed as he wrapped his arms around his sleeping wife. 'I love you Sora, but that side of the family needs a little attitude adjustment.' There was just something about him that rubbed Tai the wrong way from the start.

There were also some things that couldn't be explained. Like how he knew about the bugs attacking the outside clan's city before Izzy's computers gave a report about it... he also was no where to be seen during the attack on either city... 'Is he the saboteur? No one has explained how the wall of protection fell in the first place...'

"What's wrong?" Her groggy voice called out as she tried to roll on her back. He stopped her by moving closer to her instead.

"It's nothing. Just thinking."

"Did you just get back? What were you doing this late?" She asked. He knew she hated being bed ridden. He could tell in her voice that she longed for the time that she could jump right in and take the lead on the battle field and in meetings.

"I'm sorry about all this... I know you hate staying here. But things aren't really all that exciting at the moment." He lied. Tai knew she would enjoy the planning phases they were going over. He had wanted to get her involved, but Joe and Kari felt it best to keep her away from it all. Knowing Sora if she got involved a little one day they would find her jumping into the back of a transport thinking she could go into battle.

"You lie. I can't believe you just tried to lie to me." She laughed. Tai could tell she was just playing. "Did you hear that little one? Your daddy is a liar. So don't you go and listen to him."

"Now, now... that's not fair. You'll turn her against me before I even get a chance to have a good impression on her!" Tai propped himself up on his elbows and looked down on Sora and her growing stomach.

"Not my problem my dear. So if you are going to play dumb, then I think I have more important things to do."

"Like what?"

"Sleep... make you get me some ice cream.. those kinds of things."

"Yes, yes, right away my lovely slave driver."

The success of the away missions had come with a large price. Not just the number of lives it took, or the resources put into the missions... but when a wild creature is put on the defensive... they tend to fight back.

Tai should have realized that once the bugs numbers were dwindling, it is only natural for a creature to want to protect and defend itself. That was exactly what the human race was doing as well.

Yet, the sheer magnitude of the bug's abilities to adapt and throw things right back at them amazed Tai.

'They are hurting. They wouldn't try so many last ditch efforts against us unless... they are trying to find a weakness and exploit it.' He thought to himself one evening. He just suddenly woke up for some reason and couldn't get back to sleep.

Laying in bed with Sora curled up next to him, his mind wandered to many things.

'That stupid prophecy... it doesn't say when the fighting will end. It talks about our daughter being a key to beating them... but not how or when... will this war still go one even when she is our age?'

He prayed that such was not the case. I want to end this soon.

Tai wanted to kick himself.

'Didn't mom tell me to be careful of what I wished for?' He wondered to himself as he sat at the command center's main computer. He and Matt, who seemingly decided to let Sora and Tai be in peace, had been looking over figures of the current bug locations. They way things kept going- it would soon be over for one of the two species...

"They're massing on us..." Matt said looking indifferently at the raw data. "They are gathering for a final attack."

"Are we sure of that?" Tai asked looking at the same data.

"What do you think they will do? We've destroyed 50 of their offspring... countless breeding areas and done significant damage to their fighting force..."

"Yeah, we sure did piss them off with that." Tai said with a nod. "And I agree. They're going to hit us with everything they have left."

"So the question remains... what do we do now?" Matt asked setting down the data and rubbing his temples.

"We can either strengthen the city fortifications and fight, or abandon the city and risk moving."

"Well, that means we only have one choice." Matt corrected Tai. "We're not about to leave this city." The blonde smiled. "And I believe your very pregnant wife would kill you for even thinking that was an option."

"Yeah, she would." Tai smiled back. He still didn't know what to do about Matt. The blonde wasn't openly as hostile towards him anymore... but there was a cycle with this man. He would be friendly, then he wouldn't... it all depended on some great unknown formula. Or so Tai told himself.

"Looking at the data, the city center would be the safest place to put all the civilians who cannot fight. The bunkers that are below this compound could also be of use to keep things running even if the city is attacked."

"I agree, I'll have Izzy and the others begin to restock the bunker and to get things in order for an evacuation to the city center." Matt nodded.

"We need to be extra-prepared. The human race cannot afford to mess this up."

"Agreed."

It had begun.

The final battle. The bugs had chosen a time and place... and it was now. They came pouring in through a magical whole in Izzy's barrier.

Everyone in head quarters were scrambling to figure out how something like this happened twice.

Tai had a good feeling he knew. Running through the corridors while TK and Matt organized the men, Tai's mind was going in three directions. One wanted to find that son of a bitch who once again sabotaged the barrier, the other wanted to get out on the front lines and fight, and the third, the most powerful urge he had to fight was to run and get Sora.

'Damn logic.' He cursed as he ran through the hallways of the central computer wing of headquarters. There was only one logical thing for him to do- and that was to stop the bastard who opened another whole in the barrier. If he ran out to fight or to get Sora, who knows how many wholes there would be in the barrier- if it even stood at all. He needed to to stop the breaches in the city's protective layers before too many bugs got in.

Explosions and chaos were filling the streets. Only 1/3 of the city had been successfully relocated to protective areas. Tai didn't need to be outside to know the fact that many were dieing at the moment. He only hoped that Sora had left the house like she said she was going to do today.

'She is way too stubborn at times.' He thought to himself. 'She thinks she can take care of herself even now... now is not the time... I hope Kari is with her at least.'

As he rounded the corner Tai saw a flash of light whiz by his head. Instantly he dropped to the ground. It was a good thing because mere seconds later another light came and hit the area where he had been standing.

'Someone is firing a laser at me...' Tai was shocked. Crawling quickly to hid behind a table with computers on it he tried to figure out where the shots were coming from. Trying to peer over the top of the equipment, the top of Tai's hair was hit.

The burnt smell of hair permeated the air.

'That was close... now I know why I refused to cut it...' He mumbled to himself.

"You need to stop this now!" Tai decided to try and distract the gunman... 'it had to be him... the only real person who would mess with things would be Sora's uncle...'

"Like Hell I do!" Came the harsh reply of the old man. Tai's assumptions were correct. "I'd like to see you try and stop me." The man yelled. The sounds of footsteps told Tai that the man was moving closer... he needed to fight back.

"Why are you doing this? You're killing your own people!"

"It doesn't matter."

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Tai screamed as he pulled out the blaster at his side. He didn't want to have to use it, but he was given no choice. "I'll give you one last chance. You need to put down the weapon, and give yourself up."

There was no reply.

Thinking that this was the moment, Tai jumped to his feet and tried to move in closer or catch the other man off guard. It didn't work. Instead of catching him off guard, it was Tai who was caught off guard.

A laser shot to the shoulder caused Tai to lose his footing and fall.

"Not much of a savior are you?" The other man laughed knowing he had hit Tai. "Well, once you are dead, nothing will be in the way. I will let the bugs get rid of the unwanteds and then there will be peace."

'What the hell is wrong with this guy?' Tai wondered as he crawled and hid behind another set of tables and computer equipment.

'Thankfully Izzy is to busy to try and organize this room- otherwise I wouldn't have as much cover...' Tai thought. 'I need to get closer to him without him knowing... I need to stop him now.'

"TAI!" Came a voice from down the hallway. Both men looked towards the corner where the owner of the voice would be coming around very soon. Tai snapped back to attention and took a shot. Standing up he shot at the man but missed him.

The fire was returned and soon Tai found himself back on the floor.

"Tai! What the..." It was Matt. The blonde headed man turned the corner and saw the outer clans member with a gun pointed right at him.

"Get down Matt!" Tai yelled out a warning. Matt heeded the advice and dropped to the ground right before the laser came sailing by.

"He's been sabotaging the barriers, and he also allowed the outer tribes to be destroyed by getting the bugs to attack!" Tai shouted letting Matt know what was going on.

"What? Why?" Matt yelled back not understanding.

"You really want to know why? Look around! Look at our people! Nothing but empty shells of who we once where. My parents survived the nuclear holocaust! They fought to survive but they had nothing left to fight with! You in the city had everything!"

"But why destroy your city then?"

"Because they had also become polluted with greed and technology! A new world is needed. I will allow the bugs to cleanse this poor planet of the true bugs. The human race! We will start again and this time we will keep our humanity!"

"Matt, we've got to stop him. Isn't Izzy's main barrier breaker in this area?" Tai said knowing why the man was in this particular room.

"Shit!" Matt swore realizing the same thing. They were all doomed if that man succeeded in destroying that breaker. There would be no stop to the bug's final attack. The city would fall completely.

"Tai, can you do me a favor?" Matt called over to the brown haired man.

"What?"

"Make sure that Sora is happy after all of this ends, ok?"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"We need to stop him right?"

"Well, yes." Tai said not catching on to what the blonde man was getting at. Why would Matt want him to promise something like that, now?

"You better not blow this... you have one last try."

"Matt... wait a minute... he'll shoot you the second you stand up!"

"And give you a chance to get him, right? Besides you've wanted me shot for a long time. I thought you'd be happy to get the chance to see it happen." The blonde laughed.

"Matt..."

"I did what I did because I love Sora... I know I was selfish. But you have to understand what it feels like to have something for all your life and then be replaced. I had wanted to be the one to love her... but I guess it was hopeless all along."

"Matt, she still loves you like family."

"I know- but sometimes that only makes it worse. So let's end this, ok?"

"Are you sure? I mean..."

"No time, ready? Go!