Chapter One
Shit. Shit. Shit. I thought as I ran through the rooms. Bedroom, bathroom, living room, kitchen. Shit.
I can't find my blouse, where is it? I remember placing it on the bed as I fed Iris the other day...was that Tuesday? No, today is Saturday...I think.
I looked everywhere for it but to my dismay it was no where to be seen. I walked past a mirror and stopped taking a look at myself. I barely recognized myself since I looked tired, no makeup, my messy hair up, and I was wearing sweats and a old soccer shirt with holes in it. To be honest, I don't think I'm wearing a bra. God, I need a shower.
But, two things are preventing me from doing that. Well, three are to be honest. My blouse, Leon and Iris.
No one told me or Impy how hard it was going to be parents. I know there was the lack of sleep, and the crying. But no one told us that having hybrid children was going to be a whole new level of parenting. A normal parent does not have to watch out for a toddler's tail thrashing about-knocking down everything. A normal parent does not have to put out fires on a daily routine.
Thank God for my husband for helping me. Since we took up positions on a council we get a lot of time off since we only meet up once every week. I take e-mails and calls, Impy runs to the Digital World to sort out anything potentially threatening.
Gosh, has it been so long since we went on our last adventure? I thought looking at a old photo of our whole group. Both the Japan and Canadian tamers all gathered with the Angels, Demons and the Knights.
Oh well, life does go on.
"Honey, have you seen my blouse?" I asked walking into the kitchen again. I saw my soulamte in his human form trying to feed our daughter mashed peas and carrots again. Typical. She hates that one. From the looks of my daughters puffed up face, he was getting the hint.
"Toots, we have been over this. we ain't matchin'. It's retarded." I frowned.
"Hon, not the r-word. It's in the book of words we should not say."
He rolled his green eyes at me and gave me a look. I know, it was stupid but I refuse to raise our kids cursing words in public! I should be getting an award for this, not hassle!
"And I thought it would be perfect for the family to match." I explained sitting down next to him. "It would be cute."
"Cute?" Ian set the mini spoon down and tossed a few puffs to Iris who ate them. "This is not cute toots. In fact, I don't even know what to call this. I don't remember the last time I slept. I love the kids but they are driving me insane."
"That is part of the job description," I smiled grabbing a coffee and sipped it. Mmm, caffine. "We have to be crazy, then we can be officially labelled as parents." I hugged Ian and gave him a soft peck on the cheek. "Just a rough patch, nothing we can't handle."
"Yeah, yeah. Tell it to the squirt over here. Toots, why can't we just feed her the puffs, she's so much happier with 'em." Ian pleaded.
I sighed. We have been fighting a lot lately based on money, the kids, work, and especially this family portrait idea I have. He says it is not our style to do this
"yuppie" life. But I explained (well, I kinda shouted and cried) that since I never had one in my family, I think we should have one now so the kids can look back and have a nice memory. At the mention of my parents, he kinds toned it down. It has been years since my parents rejected me and threw me away but I'm still wounded over it. They don't even know about their grandchildren I don't think.
After that, he was kinda good about the portrait thing. But the line was at matching outfits.
Suddenly, Iris cries and smears her food on her face. I heard her cries and soothed her telling her it is alright. She was such a fussy child, always crying and not eating. However, no signs of being a Digimon yet. Maybe she will be completely human.
"Have you seen Leon?" Ian grumbled trying to scoop another spoonful of mush to Iris. "You know we should not leave the kid alone too long."
Leon. Our first son was wonderful, loved to talk and play and meet new people and Digimon. However, he had his father's devil like personality. He has been ofically nicknamed "The devil prince" by Terriermon after one horrible babysit affair when we went out for a anniversary trip. Basically, we learned that Leon can set fire to pretty much anything he wanted to. So, we kept an eye out and scolded him whenever he set fire. We were going to start teaching him how to control it when he turned four.
I heard thuds coming down the stairs and I saw my son walk down (with the assistance of the railing of course) in his outfit. Not just any outfit. His outfit. The Luigi outfit that Jeri bought for him a week ago. He has not changed out of it for three days and I was afraid this was going to happen. Here we go.
"Leon sweetie, didn't we talk about changing into new clothes?" I gave a bright smile and knelt down to the young boy. His blonde hair and green eyes were exactly like his father. He looked down at his outfit and grinned.
"Luigi!"
"Yes sweetie," I began and started to undo the buttons. "Luigi is a great guy but you are starting to smell and we need to change your clothes."
"NOOOOOO!" he cried trying to throw off my hand. His tail curled and I prepared for him trying to chomp on my hand. I smacked him.
"No Leon! What have I told you about biting people? Mommy does not like to be bitten." I scolded him. On cue, Leon started to wail. I already felt a head ache coming on.
"Leon!" Began Ian leaning his chair back so he can see his son. Oh good, Ian was going to handle the discipline for Leon this time. "Listen to your mother."
That bastard. He took the easy way out.
I felt heat at my knees as Leon started to become quiet and concentrated on making a fire happen at my knees. I smacked him again.
"No fires. Five minutes in the corner."
I placed Leon in his chair in the corner of the dining room and he folded his arms.
"I don't want to go in the corner!"
"When you stop making fires, you will stop going to the corner." I replied. Leon sucked on his thumb and I stood up. I looked at the house. It was a mess. Papers everwhere, some left over pizza from two nights ago, various bottles for Iris, our wedding gift for Jeri and Takato's wedding coming up in a few weeks. It was expensive as hell but Jeri loves collecting these things and it was wedding themed. Ian was not too thrilled about it but I paid for it myself. He has zero complaining rights.
It was crystal with a few sapphires in the centre of the goblet. Engraved was Takato and Jeri's name into the goblet that sparkled. There was a Japanese character in the centre that depicted the original brand name.
I sighed. My cell phone rang and I picked it up after searching through the toys bin. It was Rike.
"Honey watch the kids." I called and ran upstairs to take the call. I hear Rika on the other side with the sound of cars and traffic.
"Hey Rika." I chimed.
"Hey yourself," she replied cooly. I cringe. You see, this was the fifth appointment that we made with her since we became so well with the camera (and the kids love her) but things kept comming up. From the house being a mess, Iris sick, an emergency with Ian (something about land discrepancy with the sovereigns) and I had a workshop for Canadian Tamers in Toronto the last time. Rika probably had enough patience.
"Rika today is the day! We have not cancelled!" I said sitting down on the bed. "No ones sick, no emergencies. We are good."
"Well, you better be! I set so many days aside for you and the imp." The red head replied on the phone. I heard her curse at someone. "No more excuses Lindy, I get being a mom is hard but this has to work."
"You're right. I'm sorry." I began. "There is no excuse for using you like that and blowing you off. Things here were so rocky and now I think the fighting has stopped."
"Is it bad?" Rika asked concerned. While everyone knew we fought, it was starting to show we had a lot more strings of fights than usual.
"We got through it." I replied. "See you in two hours?"
"On the dot. And Lindy?"
"Yes?"
"I do not care if the D-Reaper comes crashing in, we are taking this photo. Do you understand me?"
I assured Rika that the photo shoot will go on no matter what. As if anything could really go wrong today, I scoffed.
I hung up and went downstairs to grab Leon to change him into new clothes. As I turned the corner I looked into the dining room and did not see him. I looked around. Nothing. I went into the kitchen and saw Ian smiling at Iris. That's cute.
"Honey have you seen Leon?"
"No, did you put him in the corner?" he asked looking around.
"Yeah, but he left. I told you to watch him." I replied frowning. "Leon!"
I perked my ears. Being a hybrid I gained a pretty good sense of hearing for a noisy toddler who was now thumping up the stairs with a giggle. I felt something drop in my stomach. Oh no, what did he do?
"Toots," Ian started tugging on me. I looked at him and he pointed at the table. Or what was lacking from the table. The wedding gift. The expensive goblets for Jeri and Takato's wedding.
Shit.
I run up the stairs calling out Leon's name. Ian comes with me and we both check his bed room. No one there. I check the bathroom and Ian checks the bedroom. Nada.
"Where is he?" I muttered. "He does not have invisibility skills."
"LEON!" I heard Ian cry and I saw him through one of the windows on the second flood. He was climbing on our backyard tree that was accessible through one of the windows and started to play with the goblets.
We bolted to the window and beckoned him to come. Of course in Leon style he blew a raspberry at us. I growled and started to climb on the tree. It creaked and I realized that I was too heavy.
"I'm going." I said before Ian could say anything and changed into my Impmon form. Completely dark blue except for my sea green eyes and bandana and gloves I easily jumped on the tree and made my way to Leon. He laughed seeing me almost as big as him and clapped his hands.
"Play time! Play with me!" He cried and I frowned.
"No, Leon you are coming with me back inside the house."
"No!" Leon pouted. I was praying to God that he does not set this tree on fire. I flicked my tail in annoyance and grabbed his hand.
I should have been more careful as I saw Leon was losing his grip on the goblets. If those things broke...
"Ian the goblets!" I cried. Ian was much faster at changing into Impmon and saw it drop from Leon's hands...and fall towards the ground.
It was in slow motion that Impmon made a catch for both of the goblets but made the mistake of not realizing that there was garden gnome at the bottom of his fall. He hit the gnome and made a gunt of pain.
"Impy!" I shouted scooting Leon into the house. I run inside, change back into human form and run outside with Leon in my arms. The purple rookie gave me a look.
"Next time, gift cards." I scooped him up and took him inside. I placed Leon in the play pen, locked it twice, and tended to Impmon's bruise.
"Well," I grabbed some ice and gave it to him. "I don't think you are going to die." I smiled at my joke and made my husband smile while shaking his head.
"I don't know doc, it really hurts." He changed back into his human form and pointed at it. With his skin tone you could see a bruise was starting to form. "See?"
"I think I know the perfect medicine." I chimed kissing him on the forehead. He grinned.
"Much better," He wrapped his arms around me and I sat on his lap. "Toots, he is gunna get himself hurt if he keeps this up."
"I know..." I looked sad. Leon was so adventurous, he couldn't help it.
"At least we have on good chil-" Ian began beaming but lost his smile as he and I stared at an empty chair where a certain one year old was suppose to be.
"Oh no." He began. I climbed off him and called out Iris' name. I looked around the room starting to feel panic set into my skin. I saw Ian run to other parts of the house while I looked into the dining room and the play room where Leon was occupied with his Legos. I met back up with Ian.
"Anything?" He asked breathing heavily. His eyes darted around the room and I shook my head.
"Ok, maybe she-um. Maybe she learned some powers." I started to reason grabbing my cell phone and started to dial Rika. The voicemail was heard after the first ring. I cursed and phoned Mako.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Mako I need you are you busy?"
"Lindy? You ok?" He sounded concerned. I usually don't ask him for anything unless it's really important.
"Iris might have developed some kind of power. I was wondering if your D-Ark might work for her as it did for Leon."
"Maybe, can you swing by?"
"Yeah, I can." I hung up and turned to Ian.
"I'm going to see if I can track her. Stay here in case she pops back here."
"Yeah, I'll keep an eye on Pyro over here too." He nodded his head. "We will find her let's not freak out yet."
"Yet." Our eye met. We were freaking out.