Never Far

Chapter 11- Fusion

Kari took a deep breath, which was somewhat difficult in her formfitting outfit, however no one else seemed to mind that she couldn't breathe. T.K., for example, was too busy staring at her. He hadn't been able to pull his eyes away from her since she had finished getting ready. Currently, she was standing on the stage of the performance hall, in front of what seemed like millions of people.

Surprisingly, she wasn't as nervous as she thought that she would be. Sure the show had sold out, and practically the whole state of California was in the audience, including most of the people she knew. Kari felt as if all of her senses were shut down. The fans were screaming, but all Kari could hear was her own heartbeat. The lights were blinding her, but all she saw was T.K., who was standing beside her with his hand on the small of her back, daring anyone else to come close.

The music started, and the only thing she felt was T.K.'s voice as it surrounded her.

"The things we did, the things we said Keep coming back to me and make me smile again You showed me how to face the truth

Everything that's good in me, I owe to you." He sang.

Kari's moment came, and she smiled at T.K. and sang in response, "Though the distance that's between us now

May seem to be too far,

It will never separate us

Deep inside, I know you are…"

In perfect unison the reached the chorus, "Never gone, never far

In my heart is where you are

Always close, everyday

Every step along the way

Even though for now we've got to say goodbye,

I know you will be forever in my life

Never gone."

"I walk alone these empty streets,

There is not a second you're not here with me."

"The love you gave, the grace you showed

Will always give me strength and be my cornerstone."

"Somehow you found a way

To see the best I have in me."

"As long as time goes on

I swear to you that you will be…"

"Never gone, never far

In my heart is where you are

Always close, everyday

Every step along the way

Even though for now we've got to say goodbye

I know you will be forever in my life"

"Never gone from me

If there's one thing I believe…"

"I will see you somewhere down the road again"

The crowd was erupting with cheers and applause while the repeated the chorus twice more.

T.K. sang the final line with one arm draped over Kari and one arm gripping his microphone, "Never gone, never far, in my heart is where you are…" He managed to give Kari a chaste kiss on the lips before Matt interrupted, pushing them apart.

The drummer tapped off the next song and Kari moved to the side of the stage to sing backup for the next few songs, which of course, were spectacular.

It had been their best show, and they all knew it, so the after party turned into a huge blowout with people Kari had never even seen before. She and T.K. struggled into the house, which was quite a difficult process because there were so many people partying inside that movement against the crowd was almost impossible. Lynn and Hannah pushed their was inside behind Kari and T.K. but were soon lost in the crowd.

Kari laughed as she and T.K. were separated when a guy who was dancing wildly burst between them. Letting the crowd move her along, Kari made her way past the crowded front rooms, hoping to find her friends. T.K. appeared beside her and gripped her hand tightly while glaring fiercely at the guy who was still dancing obliviously.

Finally, the stumbled into the slightly less crowded kitchen area, where Matt and Tai were sitting on the countertop, laughing hysterically at Davis' attempts to dance. Kari and T.K. were laughing as well until Tai fell off the counter and was rolling on the floor in his hysteria. Matt, T.K., and Davis laughed even harder, but Kari joined them reluctantly after noticing the pile of empty beer cans on the counter behind where Tai had been sitting.

Matt hopped off the counter, the alcohol causing him to wobble slightly. Davis offered Tai a hand and lifted him off the ground. Tai was so unstable though, that it took Matt's arm around him to right himself. Tai reached for another can of beer, but Kari took it away from him.

"I think that's enough for you two," she told them, trying to be the voice of reason.

Matt completely ignored her and popped open another can. "Kari, you need to relax. We're not completely irresponsible."

"Yeah," Tai added, "we're going home tomorrow, so we might as well have fun on our last night." He grabbed the can out of Matt's hand and took another drink.

Kari looked at T.K., who had failed to mention that he was leaving tomorrow. As in the next day. As in they only had a few hours together. He smiled apologetically at her and led her away from the crowds so they could talk.

Deciding that the party was far too out of control for them, they stumbled out the front door of the house into the cool night air of San Francisco. Walking slowly along the dark sidewalk, they chatted robotically about their brothers' stupidity and other random topics. Neither one wanted to mention, however, that they only had a few hours left together, though they were both thinking it.

"What time is your flight tomorrow?" Kari asked, finally bringing up the dreaded subject.

"I'm not sure. It just depends on what time Matt and Tai will be able to overcome their hangovers and drag themselves out of bed tomorrow."

Kari laughed. "Then you can expect it to be later."

T.K. laughed with her, but the depression of the upcoming departure was still hanging over them both. "So, what do you want to do now?" he asked.

"I don't know. I guess we could go back to my grandmother's house and watch a movie or something." They walked in the house, intending to just relax on the couch. When they opened the door however, a red blur flew down the hallway and attached itself to Kari.

"Kari!" Mikey shouted as he hugged her around the waist. "We watched the concert on T.V. and I thought you looked really beautiful."

"We both did," came a voice from the kitchen. Kari, T.K., and Mikey entered the kitchen to find her mother sharing a bottle of wine with Mr. Thompson.

"The show was wonderful," Mrs. Kamiya commented.

"Thanks, we're glad you enjoyed it."

"I'm sorry to intrude in your house, Kari," Mr. Thompson added, "but your mother and I were just catching up. We were trying to figure out what nights you might be able to baby-sit for me."

"Well," Kari said, "we'll put on a movie in the other room and leave you two alone." They shut the kitchen door just as the two adult returned to their previous conversation, which, Kari noticed, seemed to have nothing to do with babysitting.

"So you're Mikey," T.K. said, as he shook the younger boy's hand. "I've heard all about you."

"Really?" Mikey asked with wide eyes and adorable childish innocence. "Kari told me all about you too. You're T.K. and you have a brother named Matt who's best friends with her brother, Tai. Kari told me the story about how you saved her from the Scubamon."

"And I heard all about how you've been helping the older digi-destineds save the digital world."

Kari felt herself smiling at the new friends. The idolization in Mikey's eyes as T.K. spoke to him was almost too much for her. Although, she didn't interrupt them until Mikey started to tell T.K. of some of the more private things he had overheard Kari and Lynn talking about.

"So, why don't we watch a movie," Kari smiled, clamping a hand over Mikey's mouth and dragging him over to the couch. T.K. put the movie in and they sat down, he and Kari sitting on either sides of the younger boy. A half hour into the movie, however, and Mikey fell asleep with his head on Kari's lap and his legs draped over T.K.

Not too long after that Mr. Thompson determined that it was time for them to head home and he scooped Mikey off the couch and carried him out the door. Kari's mother was smiling to herself as she headed upstairs, leaving Kari and T.K. alone on the couch in the dark living room.

As soon as her mother was out of their sight, Kari grabbed T.K. by the shoulders and kissed him deeply. T.K. responded fervently until a loud cough from the hallway caused them to jump away from each other. Kari's grandmother stood beside the stairway giving the two teenagers a very disapproving look.

"Hi Grandma Kate," Kari said, plastering an innocent smile on her face. "Do you think it's all right if T.K. stays here tonight? You don't know how crazy one of Tai and Matt's parties can be. I'm surprised that you can't hear them from here."

"It's fine, as long as T.K. spends the night on the couch, and you spend the night upstairs in your room."

T.K. smiled at her request. "Thank you, I really appreciate it." The older woman only nodded sleepily and climbed the stairs to her own room.

Kari found some extra blankets and helped T.K. make up a comfortable bed on the couch. After they heard Kari's mother and grandmother's bedroom doors shut for the final time, Kari kissed T.K. once again. T.K. broke off the kiss much sooner than Kari had intended and pulled away from her.

"Not here," he whispered.

"All right. Do you want to go up to my room?"

"Kari, it wouldn't be right. I feel too guilty. Your mom and grandma are trusting us."

Kari sighed. "I guess you're right. I'll just go upstairs then…all alone…" She looked at him with big, pleading eyes, trying to change his mind.

He laughed at her, then threw a pillow in her direction. "Okay, I'm done," she said as she conceded. "I'll see you in the morning then."

He kissed her once more and then settled down underneath the blankets as she climbed the stairs to her bedroom. Although they were both thinking of the other, they surprising both fell asleep quite easily.

Kari awoke the next morning to a bright blue sky and birds chirping outside of her window. Dressed in extremely short pink shorts and a tight white tank top, she made her way through the amazingly quiet house.

She snuck past the living room, where T.K. was still sound asleep on the couch. The kitchen was spotlessly clean, which made the piece of paper on the counter stand out against the countertop. The note was to her, from her mother, stating that her mother and grandmother had gone shopping and wouldn't be back until the afternoon.

Kari read the letter and then read it again. Her grandmother and mother were going shopping together? What was going on here? This would be the first time that Kari had seen them do anything together. It was so exciting an occurrence that she ran into the living room to tell T.K., forgetting that he was still asleep.

She placed the letter down on the table beside the couch and watched the boy as he slept. He looked so peaceful that she didn't want to disturb him. But she didn't think that he would be too upset when she crawled under the blankets beside him.

When T.K. awoke with the barely clothed Kari in his arms, he decided that he wasn't going to let her go. She felt him stir as he woke up and turned so that they were facing each other. A second later, his mouth had claimed hers in a deep, passionate kiss.

Kari pressed her body against his, trying to get as close as she could to him and he tightened his embrace around her. He tried to push Kari onto her back, however, they ended up falling off the couch.

Kari screamed in surprise, but laughed when T.K. landed with a thud on his back and Kari sprawled on top of him. "Ow, that hurt," he moaned as Kari was still laughing at him.

She moved her knees to either sides of his waist so she was bending over him. Slowly, she kissed his neck and whispered, "Good thing I know how to make it all better." T.K. wrapped his arms around her middle and successfully managed to flip her onto her back. She sighed with contentment as he passionately kissed her mouth.

All of a sudden, there was a loud pounding on the front door.

"Don't answer it," T.K. whispered, placing light kisses along her collarbone.

"I have to. It could be important." At that moment, the phone started to ring as well.

"All right," T.K. moaned. "You get the phone and I'll answer the door, but if it's someone selling something then I'm kicking their ass."

She laughed and darted into the kitchen to grab the cordless phone off it's charger.

"Hello?"

"Good morning, Kari, it's Matt."

"Hi Matt. I'm surprised to hear from you this early. You do know it's only 10:30, right?"

"Yeah, look, I was just wondering if T.K. was there. We have an early flight out, so he needs to get over here and start packing."

"Okay, hold on, let me get him." Kari walked through the kitchen door just in time to witness T.K. throwing his fist into a tall man's face.

"T.K.! I thought you were just kidding! What do you think you're doing?" she screamed.

T.K. shook his hand, while the man at the door stood up, grabbing the banister in one hand and clutching his bleeding nose in the other. Kari gasped, dropping the phone as she stared in shock into the familiar face of her father.

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"Never Gone"

Backstreet Boys

Never Gone

Jive Records