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
'Only You'
(don't own Josh Kelley either)
"Are ya coming?" Brian asked his fiance before he left their hotel suite. Kari shook her head as she laid on their bed. Brian sighed in disappointment and turned around to leave. "I'll be back in a few hours."
Brian closed the door and sighed again. He and Kari checked into their room a few hours ago and he was starting to get the feeling this was going to be a long week. They were getting married in five short days. He grabbed his skiis that he laid on the floor outside his hotel suite and started walking down to the lobby to meet the others. Tai, Sora, Jeff and Jimmie were all waiting for Brian to meet up with them. Sora rolled her eyes as she saw Brian coming alone.
"Was she like this during your guys' reunion?" Brian asked Sora curiously.
"Much worse," replied Sora as the group left to go hit the slopes.
As part of Brian and Kari's wedding present, Jeff, Jimmie and some of the other drivers were paying for all the wedding guests to stay at a fancy hotel and ski resort up in the mountains. Just a mile or two down the road was the church where Brian and Kari were going to get married. It was a beautiful December day to go skiing and Brian couldn't believe Kari would rather stay in their hotel room instead. Not even Chandra and Ingrid could get Kari to come out of their room.
"Do ya think Kari's doing this to rebel against getting married here?" Brian asked Tai and Sora at the top of the slope.
"No," answered Tai.
"Then why would she want to stay in the room all day?" Brian asked, he was trying to figure everything out.
"I think it's her fear of seeing an old friend," Sora carefully answered. She didn't want Brian to know it was TK she was referring to but she didn't want him to worry.
The problem still bothered Brian. He decided to quit skiing early so he could talk to his fiance. As he walked up to his room, he saw a familiar creature waiting outside their door. A smile crept across his face. He knew this would cheer Kari up.
"Hey Gatomon! Long time no see. How are ya?" Brian greeted the feline digimon.
"Hey Brian! I'm amazing! I was just waitin' for ya to return so I could surprise Kari," explained Gatomon.
Gatomon jumped into Brian's arms as Brian opened the door. Brian found Kari laying in the same fetal position when he left the room. He was starting to worry about her. Something just wasn't right.
"Hey babe." Brian greeted her, "are ya alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," replied Kari as she turned onto her other side to see Brian and her beloved digimon. "Gatomon!"
Kari sat up in the bed as Gatomon jumped down from Brian's arms to her partner. The duo hadn't seen each other since the reunion a few months ago. They hugged until Kari pulled away.
"Gatomon, can I ask ya something?" Kari asked and Gatomon nodded her head. "I would have asked ya sooner but I haven't seen ya since the reunion. Would Angewomon do me the great honor of being my maid of honor?"
"Are ya serious? ME?!" Gatomon asked in shock. Kari nodded her head. "Oh my gosh Kari! Yes, I'd love to be your maid of honor!"
"Ahhh thank ya Gato!" Kari happily replied back and gave her digimon partner another hug. "That means we have to get ya fitted for a dress. Let's go!"
"Wait, what?"
Kari got out of bed for the first time since she got to Japan and put her coat and laced up her Ugg boots. Gatomon followed Kari out the hotel and into the rental car. Kari drove to the dress shop where Sora had all the bridesmaid dresses waiting. The store happened to be owned by Mimi. It was the first designer store Mimi opened before her clothes became popular and famous. Since then, she has opened stores all over the world. Before they entered the store, Gatomon digivolved into Angewomon. When the two entered the store, they were surprisingly welcomed by Mimi herself.
"Kari! Angewemon!"
"Mimi! Oh my gosh, I didn't know you were Japan already," exclaimed Kari.
"Yeah, since I was already coming to the wedding, I decided to fly back early to check on my store here. It was the first store I opened so it's pretty much my baby. Silly, I know, but I like to know if things here are up to my standards and whatnot. So what can I do for ya today?" Mimi asked in her most professional voice.
"Angewoman's going to be my maid of honor. I was wondering if I can get her fitted for one of my bridesmaid dresses," explained Kari.
"Of course! Follow me."
Kari and Angewomon followed Mimi to the back of the store where all of Kari's bridesmaid dresses were hanging neatly on a rack. Mimi took the extra light pink sweetheart dress down from the end and gave it Angewomon to try on. A few minutes later, Angewomon came out in the dress. Mimi and Kari marveled at how gorgeous Angewomon looked in the dress.
"Ya can take your wings off?" Kari asked her digimon and she nodded her head. Angewomon no longer looked like a powerful ultimate level angel digimon. Without her protective metal helmet, her wings and her angel attire, she looked like an everyday human. She could walk down the street and no one would suspect she was a digimon. "Ya look beautiful Angewomon!"
"Thank you Kari,"
"That dress fits you perfect Angewomon!" Mimi gushed, "I absolutely love this dress Kari. I'm so glad you decided to let me design your bridesmaid dresses."
"I love them too," agreed Kari. "Ya did an amazing job."
"So are you getting excited?" Mimi asked as she checked the dress for appropriate length and other adjustments. She stuck a few more pins into the dress and signaled to Angewoman she could take the dress off.
"If excited means nervous then yeah...I'm pretty excited," said Kari.
"Oh Kari, it's normal to be nervous. I got really nervous too before I got married to Izzy. You'll be fine," Mimi assured her.
"I hope so," replied Kari hesitantly.
"Kari...are ya having second thoughts?" Mimi carefully asked.
"Maybe," Kari shamefully admitted.
"Are they about TK?"
"I don't know. I didn't have them until I stepped foot on the plane here," answered Kari.
"Well...Do you have feelings for TK?" Mimi curiously asked
"I don't know. I don't know how I feel anymore. I love Brian, I really do. But I can't help but think I'm making a mistake," explained Kari.
"Have you seen TK since you've been here?" Mimi asked and Kari shook her head no.
'Why does she keep asking about TK?' Kari thought to herself, "I don't know what to do Mimi. What do ya think I should do?"
"Listen to your heart Kari." Mimi answered, "only you know who you truly love. Nobody else can tell you what to do or who to love except you."
"That wasn't exactly the answer I was looking for," replied Kari.
"Well this isn't exactly the wedding I thought I'd be designing your bridesmaid dresses for," replied Mimi.
Kari looked Mimi in the eyes, shocked to hear Mimi say that. "Well, Brian's waiting for me back at the hotel." Kari lied when Gatomon stepped out of the dressing room. "Hopefully I'll see ya again before the wedding this Saturday."
"Everything happens for a reason Kari!" Mimi shouted as Kari walked out the door.
Kari sat by herself in front of the fireplace in the hotel lobby. She held the cup of hot tea tightly, trying to warm up her body. Even though she was sitting in front of the fireplace, she was still cold. She stared into the fire, thinking about the wedding, Brian and TK. No matter how hard Kari tried, she couldn't stop thinking about TK.
"Hey little sis," Tai greeted her, interrupting her thoughts. "Whatcha doing all alone down here?"
"Just thinking," she answered blankly.
"About the wedding?" Tai asked and Kari nodded her head yes. "Me too."
"Tai, can I ask ya something?" Kari timidly asked.
"Yeah, sure," replied Tai.
"Did ya ever have second thoughts about marrying Sora?"
"Ya mean like 'Am I doing the right thing?' kind of thoughts?" Tai asked and Kari nodded her head yes. "Yeah, I did. It's really scary getting married cause it's one of those things that will change your life forever ya know? But I knew Sora was the one for me," explained Tai. "There has always been something about her that always makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. I've never had those feelings for another girl."
Kari started to think about Tai's words. She stared back into the fire. Tai could see she was thinking about something or someone.
"You wouldn't be having seconds thoughts about TK would ya?" Tai carefully asked.
"Just because I'm having seconds thoughts, why does everyone assume they're about TK?" Kari angrily asked.
"Kari, stop kidding yourself." Tai replied, "did ya invite him to the wedding?"
"No," answered Kari.
"Kari, ya can't invite all the digidestin except TK! Did ya invite him to the rehearsal dinner at least?" Tai asked.
"No," Kari answered again.
"Don't ya think he'd like to come to the wedding?" Tai asked.
"If Matt and Sora were getting married, would ya wanna go to their wedding?" Kari asked. When Tai didn't answered she got up from her spot in front of the fire. "I didn't think so," and walked back to her room.