Disclaimer: Don't own it.
I decided to post chapter 8 right now because...well, because I could. It was already written and since you guys are the most amazing readers in the world, I thought I would update regularly while I have this boost of writing energy. I don't know how long it will last though. Sorry about the severe lack of sibling fluffiness in this chapter. The next one will definitely have it. I know this because half of that chapter is already written. lol. I always like to throw in some T.K./Matt fluffiness too! So, please review and thanks for being so patient and reading!
Once the door was closed behind them, T.K. and Kari could hear Matt and Tai begin speaking again. T.K. sighed. He loved that their friends were all there to help Kari with this new enemy. The more people she had with her, the better chance they all had to defeat this evil before it had a chance to strike.
But as much as T.K. wanted their friends involved, he also wished the meeting would just end so it would be Matt, Tai, he and Kari again. That way, Kari would be able to relax. All through the meeting she was as stiff as a board. He had to squeeze her hand a few times to get her to loosen up her muscles.
She hated getting other people involved in her problems. That was the main reason why she didn't want to tell the others. And that was also the reason why she kept quiet when she started feeling sick again.
He noticed, of course. He felt her hands become clammy ten minutes before Tai sent them away.
Kari closed her eyes and she laid down on the bed and put the comforter over herself. T.K. gave her a small smile which she returned.
"Why are you smiling at me, silly?" She asked playfully.
T.K. laid down next to her and brought her closer to him before replying.
"You just look so cute snuggled in the blankets."
She gave a small laugh and turned so that she and T.K. were face to face.
"Do you mind if I take a small nap?"
T.K. looked at her with a serious expression on his face. "Do you think they'll try to take you again? Because I don't know what to do if they do. I don't think I'll be able to find you this time."
His face had a hurt expression on it that made her heart ache. He would go to the ends of the earth for her, and seeing her in any kind of danger hurt him more than she could ever know.
She put her hand to his cheek and lightly moved his head so that he was looking her straight in the eyes.
"I don't think they have the strength left to take me again so soon. I should be fine."
"Are you sure?" His eyes poured emotions into her heart, and she found herself leaning up and placing a chaste kiss on his lips. He closed his eyes and allowed himself to kiss her back before breaking the kiss a few seconds later.
"I'm sure. Besides, if they try to take me again, I know you'll be here to wake me up."
"As I'll always be." He replied sincerely.
"I love you, T.K." She responded and snuggled up to his chest, which allowed him to wrap his arms even tighter around her small form.
"I love you too, Kari."
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Soon after sending his sister away, Tai got down to business.
"Alright, instead of going through all of the passages tonight, I'm going to assign jobs to all of you."
He walked around the room and began processing information in his mind.
"Izzie, Joe and Yolei." The digidestined gave Tai their full attention. "I need you three to use all of the sources you have and find out where the dark ocean is and how to get there."
"Right!" All three replied simultaneously.
"Davis, Cody and Mimi. I'm going to need the three of you to go to the digital world and ask any Digimon if they know anything about scubamon or a dark, undersea master. I would start with finding some divermon and asking them first. You all can split up if necessary. I know Mimi is on a different time schedule."
"That's true. It's 5 in the morning at my house right now." Mimi said as she yawned for effect. Luckily she was wide awake when Sora called her, or else she wouldn't have been the happiest person when she arrived.
All three digidestined nodded before Mimi and Cody joined Davis and Ken by the wall to work out when they would begin their search for the scubamon.
Tai smiled at their determination before calling the last two digidestined.
"Sora and Ken." He motioned for them to join him and Matt next to the chair T.K. and Kari had been sitting on.
He handed Kari's journal to Sora.
"I know this is going to be difficult, and I hate asking this of you, but you two—and Matt—are the only ones who have had first hand experience with darkness. I'm asking you to read through these entries. Matt and I believe that they are after Kari because of the power she has. And we think they are able to get to her by using any negative energy she may have deep within her."
"You really think the darkness is getting to her the way it did with Matt and I?" Sora asked fearfully. She still remembered how awful it felt to have the constant guilt, anger, and worthlessness course through her body.
"I think so. I want you guys to read between the lines. I read this already, but I can't understand it because I've never experienced something exploiting my emotions the way you have. I feel like you'll be able to tell us more about what she's feeling, and let her know whether or not they are her feelings or the seeds of doubt being planted by the scubamon."
"We understand, Tai." Ken said. "And we'll do our best."
"Thank you." He told Ken and Sora. He then turned to everyone else in the room. "Thank you all. We'll set up another meeting in a few days and talk about what we found out."
With that being said, the meeting was officially over.
"Hey Tai, can I check on Kari before I go? She wasn't in school today, and T.K. forgot to get both their homework from the teacher. Luckily I thought about it and brought it over."
Tai gave him a skeptical look and turned to Matt to see the same expression on his face. Man, Davis was still as hopeless as ever.
"Go ahead, Davis." Matt said with a chuckle. "But don't start a fight with my brother if he's too close to Kari for your comfort."
Davis began running all kinds of horrible scenarios through his head before he dropped the homework on the coffee table and dejectedly made his way home with everyone else.
As soon as the door was closed, he and Matt collapsed on the couch and sighed in relief. To them, the most tedious part was over. Everyone knew about what was going on and each had a small assignment to move things along faster. Now all they had to do was come together and set up a game plan for defeating the undersea creature, and everything would hopefully be back to normal.
"Man, I'm exhausted." Tai said as he looked at the clock on the wall. It read 6:24pm. His parents would be home in a few minutes.
"I don't see how. You just woke up a few hours ago." Matt replied with a laugh. His best friend was so hopeless sometimes.
"Yeah, but I have a long night ahead of me. I've been thinking about what Davis said."
"You mean about standing guard? Yeah, I've been thinking about that, too."
"And something tells me that I'll definitely have to keep my guard up, especially when hers will be down."
"I know. Do you need me and T.K. to stay the night?" Matt offered. Between Tai and T.K. worrying, he felt like the only medium between them and insanity.
"No thanks. I need to talk to her alone. She wasn't feeling well during the meeting, and I want to know what's up. Besides, if you and T.K. stay over, she'll know why. I just need to get her comfortable with the idea of being in the center of everything."
"That's true. And while you're doing that, I have to try to convince T.K. that Kari will be better off if he isn't constantly worrying about her. Man, between you guys, I'm surprised I can keep my cool."
Tai looked at him and let out a loud laugh.
"How is it that, no matter what we're talking about, you always have to mention you and the word 'cool' in the same sentence?"
"It's because me and that word go together better than any other two words." He replied as innocently as possible given that his friend was glaring at him. Even in a time of crisis, some things never changed.