Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.

When they say you're
not that strong
Well you're not that weak
It's not your fault
When you climb up to your hill
Up to your place
I hope you're well
There's nothing left to prove
Nothing I won't do
Nothing like the pain
I feel for you
Nothing left to hide
Nothing left to fear
I am always here
-"Not Enough," Our Lady Peace

Not Enough
Chapter Eighteen

Hell was definitely a place on earth.

Taichi was currently in it.

He was trapped in a pressurized metal tube being blasted through the air at God knows what speed and he was forced to ride in said tube, otherwise known as an airplane, with Tachikawa Mimi, otherwise known as Lucifer. Mercifully she had chosen the window seat which left him with the middle thanks to the businessman that had slipped into the aisle seat.

His breathing was slightly heavy and he was doing his absolute best not to glance out the window that Mimi had open. She of course was oblivious to his discomfort and was absorbed in the task of reading a book. He felt about ready to scream but suppressed the urge and set about the job of plotting ways to get rid of various people cluttering his life.

Well whatever helps right…

Just as he was formulating a plan to tie up Takeru and have him shipped to Canada, she looked up at him with one eyebrow arched curiously. "Are you okay?"

He wanted to crucify her.

"Never better," he replied through clenched teeth. He grinned widely at her but she merely shook her head at his display of false cheer. "Really, I'm fine."

"Do you know what fine stands for?"

"…It stands for something?"

She nodded, opening her book again. "Freaked out, Insecure, Neurotic, and Emotional." He laughed against his will and she smiled for a second before closing the shutter on the window.

"If you don't like flying you should have said so."

He went back to wanting to crucify her.

Later as the two made their way to the exit of the airport, pushing and being pushed by the crowds of people, he recalled why he was in this position in the first place. The publishing house he worked for was being considered of an endorsement by a wealthy family named the Ichijougis. To discuss the deal Taichi was chosen by his boss to visit the family in their home at Kobe. Mimi was picked to go as well for two reasons: she was the prominent writer using their label and the Ichijougis were family friends.

He cursed loudly as someone shoved him back a few steps, nearly tripping over his suitcase, and she giggled at his misfortune as they disentangled from the throng of people. To stop himself from blurting out something nasty, he bit down hard on his lip.

He needn't have bothered since she was distracted anyway.

"Mimi!"

"Ken!"

She darted away from him and through her arms around a younger man, who practically picked her up off the floor in his excitement. Taichi followed at a distance studying Mimi's friend. He was about twenty-one and was the kind of man that was pretty rather than handsome. He had long navy hair, pale skin, midnight blue eyes, and a tall and lanky build; he wore a black leather jacket, grey tee-shirt, dark blue jeans, and white and blue sneakers.

She giggled as Ken spun her around and Taichi scowled at the sight. His scowl deepened as passerby remarked on how cute the "couple" was. He was just about to interrupt the moment when the younger man noticed him and promptly restored Mimi to her feet.

She kissed him lightly on the cheek and waved at Taichi to come over. He did reluctantly and she introduced him to the other man, calling Ichijougi Ken a "good friend". In the back of his mind he wondered how "good" a friend Ken was to her.

He and Ken hardly spoke and Mimi acted as a go-between for them. Taichi was unusually silent because he wasn't sure how to act around the other two and Ken appeared to be a rather shy and reserved individual.

As their car stopped in front of the Ichijougi house he had a feeling that something was going to go wrong.

Author's Notes: Okay that's all for now. This is short mostly because it's a set-up for the next couple of chapters. And I have a question. How much older was Ken's brother than him? Please read and review.