Summary: It's TK and Kari's senior year in high school and they take a surprise Thanksgiving trip to America where things get super complicated. It doesn't look good for TK and Kari's relationship when Kari decides to move back to America and have nothing to do with TK. Can their relationship survive the test of time or will Kari's stubbornness keep them apart forever?

Hard to Love You
'Whatever It Takes'
(don't own Lifehouse either)

Sora was beginning to see a pattern in Kari's behavior. Whenever she saw TK and they had an argument, Kari would lock herself in her hotel suite all day the following day. This time was no different. Sora was starting to get aggravated with Kari. Kari needed to grow up and face her problems instead of hiding away and hoping they went away. Like every time Kari locked herself in her hotel suite, Sora did what she could to coax her out. Sora hoped a day at the spa would do it, but Kari refused and she stayed in her room all day.

"Hey babe," Brian greeted his fiance on the phone. "Having fun?"

"No! Can't I just come home today?" Kari asked desperately.

"You've lasted this long, I think ya can make it one more day," Brian assured her.

"But I miss ya so much," replied Kari.

"I miss ya too," said Brian.

Kari glanced over at the clock on her nightstand and realized Brian had woken up during the middle of the night just to call and see how she was doing. She thought it was so sweet of him to do so. After last night, she really needed to hear his voice.

"Ya must be tired," Kari said and she could hear Brian yawn into the phone.

"Uh huh," Brian replied and yawned again.

"Why don't ya go back to bed and call me when ya get up. I'll still be awake," suggested Kari.

"Are ya sure?" Brian asked, "if ya wanna talk, I'll stay up for ya."

"Yeah, I'm sure, replied Kari. "I love ya"

"I love ya too," replied Brian and he hung up to go back to sleep.

The next morning Kari woke up and started packing her bags, even though technically her plane didn't take off until 6:30 AM the next morning. When she finished packing a half hour later, she was bored. She couldn't imagine staying in her room and doing absolutely nothing for another day in a row. Kari sighed as she left her suite and walked down to Tai and Sora's room.

"Kari?" Sora asked surprised to see her at their door. "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah," answered Kari. "I was wondering, if ya wanted to do something?"

"Really?" Sora asked and smiled. She was shocked that Kari actually wanted to do something.

"Yeah."

"Well I was planning on going out with Mimi and Yolie tonight. I wasn't sure if ya wanted to go or not, I just kinda figured ya would want to stay in your room..." assumed Sora.

"What time?" Kari asked curiously.

"Tonight at 7:00 in the hotel lounge," answered Sora. "But until then, do ya want to go down to the hotel spa?"

"Yeah, that sounds like a great idea," replied Kari and they walked down to the spa together.

Kari laid down on the cushioned table next to Sora. As the masseuse began to rub and massage her back, Kari felt her tension and stress melt away. She felt so relaxed, she began to forget her personal problems. She was glad she agreed to do this with Sora. She wished she had done this yesterday already. When their massages were over, they decided to go sit in the mud baths.

"Sora, I'm really sorry for acting like such a bitch this week," apologized Kari.

"It's ok. I'm sorry for tricking ya into coming," Sora also apologized. "I realize now this trip wasn't very easy for ya."

"So now that I actually went to one of these all school reunions, ya won't make me come back it next year will ya?" Kari asked.

"Ummm...probably," answered Sora and laughed.

"Oh good!" Kari replied sarcastically and laughed.

"Hey, we better get going if we are going to met the girls later tonight." Sora said after she took the cucumbers off her eyes to check the time.

The sister-in-laws quickly showered the mud of their freshly massaged bodies and walked back to their rooms to get ready. Kari met Sora, Mimi, and Yolie in the hotel lounge an hour later. She had straightened and then curled her hair. She wore a jean skirt and a white v-line t-shirt with a pink cami underneath.

"Hey Kari!" Mimi happily greeted as Kari walked up to the table.

"Hey guys," said Kari shyly.

Kari sat and listened to her friends talk about their families, their careers and everything in between. She felt so out of the loop. She regretted pushing her friends away. Sora, Mimi and Yolie talked like they had lived next door to each their entire lives even though they lived thousands of miles apart from each other. Kari wished she had that kind of relationship with them and the rest of the digidestin. When she got home, she was determined to keep in touch with them all, even TK if she felt like it.

"So Kari, what made you want to come back?" Mimi asked curiously.

"Sora tricked me," answered Kari and smiled.

"So are you gonna come back next year?" Yolie asked, "you're always welcome to come stay at my house instead of staying at a hotel."

"I don't know," answered Kari hesitantly.

"But aren't ya glad ya came?" Sora wanted to know.

"I guess so," Kari shyly answered.

"You know Kari, I always thought you would be getting married to TK," said Mimi, the martinis were definitely getting to her. "Who would have thought you would getting married to a Nascar driver!"

"Yeah, no kidding! Did you know TK was going to propose to you?" Yolie asked.

"What?!" Kari exclaimed and started choking on her drink.

"Yeah. That's why he worked two jobs in high school," explained Yolie. "He bought you a ring a few days before you guys left for that Thanksgiving trip to America."

"Ya know, I never did find out why you and TK broke up in the first place," added Sora.

"I'd rather not talk about it guys." Kari said starting to feel very uncomfortable and overwhelmed by all this new information.

"Yeah, why did you and TK break up in the first place?" Mimi asked curiously.

"What happened between you and TK?" Yolie asked, ignoring Kari.

"I just thought of a brilliant idea!" Kari exclaimed, trying to change the subject, "how about we go back to the old high school? It would be so cool to see it again after all these years."

"Kari, stop changing the subject." Mimi asked very aggrievedly, "what happened on that trip?"

"I don't want to talk about it!" Kari replied, she was starting to get annoyed with the girls.

"Oh come Kari! It can't be that bad," said Sora.

"Will ya guys knock it off?! I said I don't want to talk about it!" Kari yelled at them, causing everyone in the hotel lounge to turn around and look at them.

"Sorry," the three older girls quietly apologized.

The four digidesten girls sat the table in awkward silence. After Kari's sudden outburst, they were afraid to say anything. Kari felt so embarrassed. Talking about TK always made her feel so uncomfortable. It made it hard for her to control her emotions.

"So um..." Kari broke the silence, "how about we go back and visit Odiaba High School?"

"I don't think that's a good idea," replied Yolie hesitantly.

"Why not?" Kari asked curiously.

"It's kinda late Kari," answered Sora.

Kari dug her cell phone out of her purse and looked at the time. It was only 9:30, it wasn't that late. She could go visit her old school and be back in her hotel room by midnight. "Oh come on guys, I've been dying to see it all week!"

"I don't really want to see it," said Mimi quietly.

"Ugh..You guys suck. I'll just go alone!" Kari said as she stood up from her chair.

"No!" Sora immediately said and pulled her back down into her chair. "Ya can't go by yourself!"

"Then come with me then! I don't see what the big problem is," replied Kari.

"I'm sorry Kari but a few years ago..." Yolie began to say.

"What she's trying to say is, we don't want to go!" Sora interrupted.

"But I do!" Kari replied.

Kari angrily stood up, slammed some cash on the table, grabbed her purse and left the hotel lounge. She walked out of the hotel and down to the nearest bus stop. Kari waited a few minutes before the first bus finally stopped.

"I think she's actually gonna go," said Yolie, concerned for Kari's safety.

"Probably." Sora answered, "ugh...she is so stubborn! I swear she acts more like a child than an adult. She only wants what she can't have and she'll do whatever it takes to get it!"

Mimi reached down into her purse and grabbed her cell phone. She started going through her contacts list. Sora and Yolie watched her as she put the phone up to her ear.

"Who are you calling?" Sora asked curiously.