"Almost Home Free"

OK, thank you so much for the birthday wish, pat, this chapter is dedicated to you. It's very late, sorry about that. I started this story a while ago but never finished it. I was also busy with other stories. Happy holidays everybody. Please enjoy it guys and review!

"Can we get a snack before we go looking?" Mimi asked as we stood on the stone steps that led to the subway.

"There's no time. We've got to get to Odaiba and find that 9th kid before somebody else does." Tai said.

"How will we get there? Do you think there are any fast food places on the way?" Mimi asked.

Oh, stop talking about food for pity sake.

I'm hungry too, ya know.

"Would you knock it off about the food? Anyway, we've only got enough money for our subway tickets." Tai said.

"Subway? Oh, well, my parents won't let me ride the subway by myself." Joe said.

Dude, seriously?

"You're not by yourself. Now come on." My brother said as we all picked up our digimon and walked down into the station to check out the map.

"Are subways like regular trains? I mean, do they have snack carts?" the pink loving girl asked.

"Just drop it and stick together everybody, it's kinda confusing around here." My brother said as we walked into the Hikarigaoka Station.

Wait, Hikari?

Dude, is that a sign or something?

You guys are all stupid for missing this stuff.

"I just hope Myotismon is having as much trouble reading this map as I am." Joe said.

"OK, what do we do now, besides starve to death?" Mimi asked.

Let it go!

"I'm just figuring it out." Izzy said as he checked his lap top for the route.

"OK, that'll work. Now, the fastest route to Odaiba is to take the number 12 train to Nagano and transfer to the Maranouchi line, then transfer to the Gingsa line and then Shinbashi." The red head said as he pointed out the lines on the map.

"Huh?" Mimi and I asked confused.

"Sounds simple enough. Now we just have to figure out the right fare." Tai said as he walked over to the machine to pay for the tickets.

"What's that Tai? What are you getting?" Koromon asked as he hopped up on the counter to watch.

"A ticket. We can't ride the train without one." The child of Courage explained as he held up two orange tickets, handing on to me.

"What's a ticket?" Palmon asked sitting up on the counter.

"What's a train?" Patamon asked as Joe shushed him.

"Come on guys. Not another word out of you from now on, OK? We don't want anybody seeing you and then asking a bunch of questions that we don't wanna explain the answers to." The bluenette said.

"Yeah, while we're here, you've got to pretend to be toys or stuffed animals. Remember to keep still and no fidgeting." Sora said

"Here's an idea. I'll be one of those dolls you told me about. The kind where you squeeze them and they go 'Whaa! Whaa! Ohhh!'" Yokomon said.

"Be a doll that doesn't talk." Her partner said.

We all got our tickets, then walked off to the tracks to go wait on our train to come and start our long ride to home.

I say we should have just called our parents to come get us, that way we'd have more money to get something to eat and get home quicker.

"It's some kind of cave." Koromon said about the tunnel as he and Tsunomon looked around.

"I don't like being underground." Tsunomon said.

"Hey, put a lid on it." Matt scolded as the train started coming, getting all the digimon to look over at the lights in the darkness.

"Attention, attention. Number 12 train now arriving at platform 7." The man on the speaker system said.

"What? Where'd that voice come from?" Koromon asked.

"You heard it? then it's not just inside my head." Tsunomon said as the train got louder and closer.

"Something's coming!" Koromon said.

"Look at those glowing eyes! It's one of Myotismon's goons." Tsunomon said as he and koromon both jumped out of their partners' arms and down on the tracks, making us all cry out.

"Hey!" Tai yelped.

"Watch out!" Matt called as the train came, scaring the two In-Trainings.

We all watched in horror as the train passed, waiting for the horrible sight of two digimon turned into road kill, but thankfully that wasn't what we saw.

They had pressed themselves against the stone wall of the tunnel before the train came so they were safe.

They both then fainted as their partners got them and we all got on the train, finding seats to sit down in.

"We can't take you guys anywhere." Tai whispered bopping Koromon on the head.

"Ow." He yelped as we all grinned.

A woman with a fussing baby came over to us, trying to get the baby to settle down as she did so.

"Here, take my seat." Sora said standing up and letting the woman sit down next to my brother.

"Oh, thank you. Wasn't that nice of the girl? We've been on our feet all day, haven't we?" the mother asked her child as she tried to calm him down.

The baby stopped crying suddenly when he looked at Yokomon, then grabbed the red stem on her head making us all panic when he started pulling.

This will not end well.

As if Demiveemon were reading my mind, he covered his eyes.

"Uh, excuse me?" Sora said catching the woman's attention as she saw what her son was doing.

"Huh? Oh, what are you doing now? No." the mother said as she tried to make him let go, but he started whining and pulled harder and Yokomon gritted her teeth.

"No, no honey. Let go now. That's the girl's toy. Come on. Honey." The mother said as she tried to get the baby to let go without hurting him s we all watched tensed.

"Ow, that's gotta hurt." Motimon said.

"Oh, come on honey. Let go of the girl's toy before you break it." the mother said as the baby angrily tugged at the stem, all of us becoming more nervous, Sora worst since she was sweating and the annoyance in Yokomon's eyes turned to rage.

"HEY! Will you let go of me?!" Yokomon finally screamed making everyone in our car gasp and look at her in shock.

The baby finally let go in surprise as all of us Digidestinds and digimon were frozen in shock, wondering what would happen next.

We are so dead.

Someone come up with an idea.

QUICK!

"I guess my toy didn't like when you pulled on her." Sora said finally breaking the tense silence.

We're dead.

I knew I was gonna be saying this a lot.

"Did you hear? That stuffed animal talked." A boy my age or maybe TK's age said pointing at Yokomon.

Another moment of tense silence passed by as all of the people stared at Sora, but she finally said something.

"Ha! It worked. All that practise is paying off. Fooled them, didn't we." Sora said as she petted Yokomon's head.

"Hush. Just keep quiet and play along." She whispered to her partner.

"Come on. The baby pulled your hair because he likes you, that's all. 'Oh, really?' There's no reason to bite the poor thing's head off. 'Oh, I'm very sorry I shouted.'" Sora said imitating Yokomon's voice to make it seem like she had made the doll talk before.

The baby giggled at the act, but I'm hoping all the other people were stupid enough to buy this.

"See that son? She's just making it look like the doll is talking. It's talked ventriloquism. She's pretty good." The boy's father said as all the other people nodded in understanding and I slacked in my seat, the others doing the same as Sora smiled thankfully.

Oh, thank God!

These people are stupid.

We might actually get away with this.

"Oh!"

"Wow!"

"I actually thought it was the doll talking."

"I want one!" the boy said.

And we're dead again.

"Daddy, get me that toy. I want that doll." The boy said pulling on his father as Sora gaped at him.

"If I don't get one right now, I'll start screaming at the top of my lungs!" the boy yelled as his father hushed him.

What a brat!

"Excuse me, young lady. Can I ask where you bought that doll? I need one right away." The father said walking up to Sora as she stuttered thinking up what to say.

"Uh, where I bought it?" she asked looking at us as we tensed up.

Stupid bratty kid that's totally spoiled and his stupid father that spoils him and lets him get whatever he wants and will make him grow up into a stupid jerk.

"It's not that hard a question is it? Come on. You'll be doing me a big favour. Where did you find it?" The man said as all of the other people on the train stared at Sora, who was a nervous wreck and looked close to having an…ul..ul…ulcer I think is the right word.

"This stop is Narima. Please watch your step. Again. This stop is Narima." The woman on the vocal system said as the train slowed and came to a stop, the child of Love getting a look on her face that signaled an idea.

"The Narima department store!" she all but shouted.

Fall for it, fall for it, fall for it.

"What? Narima? Thanks a lot. Come on, son." The man said as he and his son ran out and so did all of the other people on the train until it was just us chosen children left.

"Thanks again." The mother said as she walked out.

"Good bye." Yokomon sang as they left and the doors shut.

The train started moving again and we were all quiet as Sora sat back down.

We all then took in a deep breath and let it out at the same time.

I am going to old badly because of this.

I wouldn't be surprised if I found a white strand in my hair.

"Wow, that was a close one." Sora said.

"Pretty weird how nuts that kid went over Yokomon." Tai said.

"If we don't find the 9th child we could go into the…" Joe trailed off.

"Toy business?" Sora asked.

"How much longer?" TK asked.

"I don't know. Someone wake me when we get there." Mimi said.

"Yeah, me too." Matt said covering a yawn.

Everyone did sound close to passing out.

We had a long day with the blast from our pasts, the battle, walking, running, all of it.

"What's the name of the stop where we're getting off again?" TK asked.

"We get off at Nagano." Izzy said.

"OK. Nagano." The child of Hope said.

Soon enough, we were all sleeping, me using me brother as a pillow again that day.

(Later…)

When we all woke up, we were at the end of the line in Shinjuku, all of us getting up.

"How did we miss our stop?" Mimi asked after we all got out of the train.

"All of you slept right through it." Patamon said making us look at him.

"Patamon, you were awake? What's wrong with you? Why didn't you wake us up?" TK yelled.

"How could I? You told us not to make a sound." Patamon said.

"He'sh got cha there." Demiveemon said making us all groan.

"What now? Go back to our stop?" Joe asked.

"No, it's out of our way, but I think we can change trains here and be OK." Izzy said as we started walking, Tai taking my hand so I didn't get lost in the crowd.

"How much longer? I'm getting awful hungry, Tai." Koromon said.

"Yeah, I'm starving." Tsunomon said.

"I'm famished." Palmon said.

"It can wait. Hey, I'm hungry too, you know." Tai said.

"I keep visualizing cheeseburgers and I don't even eat cheeseburgers." Mimi whined as we all stopped walking.

"It has been a long time since any of us have eaten. And our digimon get weak when they're hungry." Matt said.

We all looked at each other, frowning before our leader sighed.

"OK." Tai said.

Mimi giggled as we all smiled and ran off to where the nearest restaurant was.

Joe and Izzy disappeared and we have no idea where they went, but we knew that they would find us with our digivices.

The digimon all ate the food happily as we waited for them to find us.

"I feel like a new woman." Mimi said.

"Man, tastes great." Tai said.

"Yumilicious." Mimi said.

"Boy, I sire needed this." Sora said.

"I've never been more happy in my entire life." I said.

"Me either!" Demiveemon chirped as he had crumbs on his face from the burger while I ate the fries.

"You people are lucky. Yum, yum. You get to eat this stuff every day." Tsunomon said eating his own burger.

"A little louder why don't cha? There's a couple of people that aren't staring yet." Matt muttered as he munched on his own burger.

"Actually nobody noticed yet, but Matt's right, you should-"Mimi trailed off with a gasp as she looked at the door.

"Uh oh." Patamon said as the children of Reliability and Knowledge came walking over to us and boy did they not look happy.

"Joe, Izzy, it's about time." TK said.

"Hey, what're you guys waiting for? Order something." Tai said to the two boys.

"How when you guys have got all of the money, huh?" Joe asked.

"Whoops, we went and spent it all." Mimi said cheerfully making Joe drop Gomamon and hang his head.

"See, we were all so hungry we ordered the super duper combos." Sora said nervously as the bluenette shook in anger.

"Great, you spent it all." He said as I mentally counted down until he lost it.

"THAT WAS ALL THE MONEY WE HAD IN THE WORLD!" he yelled, then blushed bright red as he saw half of the people in the restaurant staring at him.

Then he walked off to the bathroom muttering while TK, Patamon, Demiveemon and I giggled.

"Of all the dumb, greedy, selfish little things, it's unbelievable! You guys are supposed to be my friends, my friends, my friends…" he muttered.

"Look at that. Now the digivice's responding." Izzy said as his device beeped.

"So, why wouldn't it be?" Sora asked as Motimon and Gomamon were given some of our food to eat.

"Well, it wasn't working at all when I tried it in the station." The red head said.

"Really?" the orange haired girl asked before she took a sip of her soda.

"I guess in this world they only function at a close distance." Izzy said.

"That's great, but meanwhile, what're we going to do now?" Mimi asked.

"We start walking. They won't let us back on the train without any money." TK said.

"I'm sure not looking forward to walking all that way." Matt said.

"Ha! I know a way that won't cost us a penny. Just leave it everything to me." Tai smiled with a thumbs up.

"Oh, great. You're a genius." Matt said sarcastically.

A few minutes later we were out by the side of the road crouching behind some bushes watching as my brother walked out to the side to show us his wonderful plan.

"Help! Police! My cat is stuck in a tree in Odaiba and I've gotta get there right away so I can get him down! Hey!" he yelled jumping up and down, the cars honking at him to get out of the road.

"The police? That's his brilliant idea?" Matt asked in disbelief while I groaned and sunk down in shame.

Great role model he is for me and Kari, eh?

"If the police do stop, they'll lock him up for disturbing the peace." Izzy said as my brother jumped away from a red Volkswagen that nearly hit him.

"Hey, I've got the right of way!" Tai yelled.

"Lookin' good, Tai." Matt quipped as my brother shook in rage with his back to us.

"Good grief. At this rate, we could be sitting here all day." Joe sighed.

"And night." Izzy added in.

"Then you try to get us a ride!" Tai yelled turning and pointing at the three as they gave him shocked looks.

"Me? No way." Joe said.

"How about you, Matt? You think you're so smart." Tai taunted.

My brother came back to wait with us as we watched the child of Friendship walk right up, confident.

"Well?" Tai asked as he just stood there.

"I'm waiting." Tai said as Matt turned back to us with sweat on his temples and cheeks pink and head tilted down.

"Not so easy, is it, Matt?" Tai asked.

"WELL, AT LEAST MY CAT'S NOT STUCK IN A TREE!" the blonde raged as he walked back over to his place while Izzy and Joe walked up next.

They sighed before they started shouting 'TAXI!' and waved their arms and legs all around.

We laughed at them, but quieted down when a cab pulled up, the boys stopping their dance.

"You kids want a cab?" the man driving asked.

"Yeah." Izzy and Joe said.

"You got any money?" the man asked.

"…No." they said.

The driver then sped off, leaving the two boys with their heads hanging as we laughed; Sora and Mimi pulled me up with them to try next.

A van with a young man blasting music was driving up to us, Sora smiling when she saw him.

"Sora?" the man asked slamming on the breaks.

"It's my cousin." She said.

"Hi Dwayne!" she said as Mimi and I looked up at him with cutesy smiles.

"Need a lift?" the tanned, blonde male asked.

"Yeah."

"Thanks."

The three of us turned to the boys giggling.

"Yay!" we said.

"All right!" Sora cheered.

"Girl power!" Mimi cheered.

"Let's go!" I said as Demiveemon jumped into my arms.

"Her cousin?" TK asked.

"What're the odds of the happening?" Joe asked.

"1 in 4.2 million." Izzy said.

"Whatever, I'm just glad we have a ride." Motimon said.

"Excuse me, but what's a 'cousin'?" Koromon asked.

"Skip it." Tai said as we all got into the blue van and then Dwayne drove off after Sora gave him directions.

"OK, here's the rules. I'm gonna say this once, so listen." Dwayne said sternly making the boys all shoot up straight since they weren't liked.

"Yeah?" they asked.

"Dig it. You're only here 'cause Sora's my cousin. You're like her luggage." He said.

"Yeah. We're like her luggage." The boys said as us girls tried not to laugh.

"And luggage doesn't make a sound. You got me? Or else it gets itself thrown out of the car." He said.

"Right. Luggage doesn't make a sound." The boys said.

"You want some gum? Sugar less." Dwayne said to Mimi when we pulled up to a red light.

"Uh, sure." She said.

"How 'bout you, Sora? And what 'bout you, cutie?" the male said handing the pieces of pink gum to us.

"Thanks, Dwayne." The child of Love said giving it to Yokomon.

"Thank you!" I chirped in the sweetest way possible while I also tried to not gag as I gave the gum to Demiveemon and he chewed it.

The guy was a total creep, but I'm gonna sell this sweet princess act.

"Hey, Sora, I think your cousin's a major lame-o." Tai whispered to her.

"He's sort of the black sheep of the family, but he's giving us a lift, so be nice." She whispered back.

"I know, but just make sure he takes us to Odaiba." Tai said as I looked out the window seeing a man dressed as a wizard walking across the road holding balloons and a group of kids following after him.

Dwayne started driving again, banging his head to the loud rock music, all of us getting annoyed by it as we covered our ears.

"Excuse me? Hi! Listen!" Mimi yelled over the music making the male look at her.

"Yeah, what's up babe?" he asked.

"The music's a little loud." She said.

"The music's kinda what?" he asked.

"LOUD!" the child of Sincerity yelled.

"The radio? It's too loud?" he asked.

"Maybe just a little!" Mimi yelled and Dwayne thankfully turned it off.

"Now for a news update. Officials have failed to find a clear explanation for the devastation explosion that rocked the Highton View Terrace apartments in the Narima district today." The announcer said making us gasp.

Uh oh, we're dead.

"Power in the area is still out and the injured are still being counted after the bizarre incident. While official sources hold further information, reports of several eyewitness accounts. Although these accounts have only served to further mystify investigators. The details of their accounts differ, but several of these witnesses agree that an elephant and some kind of thing described as a giant fire bird were seen in the vicinity."

"A giant what?" Dwayne laughed blocking out the radio as he talked.

"Man, you gotta love the crazies in this town."

"…a similar incident took place at the Highton View Terrace apartments four years ago. It's unknown whether there is any connection between the two." The announcer said.

"What's the matter?" I heard Tai ask as Koromon started groaning.

"Hey! STOP THE CAR!" Tai yelled and Dwayne slammed on the breaks as we all got out of the car, me wondering what the heck was going on.

"Whoa! What is that?" the man asked as we stood on the side of the bridge we were on.

"Koromon, you couldn't wait?" Tai asked the blushing In-Training.

I don't get it.

What did he do?

"OK, who did it? Huh?" Dwayne asked as he turned to us shaking in anger.

"WHICH ONE OF YOU MADE A MESS ON MY NEW SEAT COVERS?!" he yelled.

Someone call the police if he tries to hit one of us.

"I'm sorry, I-"Tai was cut off by Sora running in front of him.

"Right here! I'm the one." She said making her cousin calm down and he had a shocked look.

"I'll clean it up. I'll even detail it for ya." She said.

"AUG! don't try covering up for these losers! Which one of 'em was it? You, Mr. Peepers." Dwayne said marching over to Joe.

"It was you, wasn't it?" he demanded grabbing his by his collar and started shaking him.

"Hey, let him go! He didn't-"Izzy said trying to help, but he was pushed back by the blonde man.

"Pick off!" he said when he pushed him.

We all cried out when we saw Izzy was pushed right off the bridge!

"IZZY, NO!" Tai cried.

"Izzy!" Sora cried.

"I'm coming, Izzy!" Motimon cried.

"Motimon digivolve too…TENTOMON!"

"I've got you Izzy!" Tentomon said as he swooped in and grabbed him by his ankle, everyone sighing in relief.

"Thanks, Tento." Izzy said.

"Uh, you had to have that extra side of chilli fries, didn't you?" the bug asked.

"Hey, what's that?" the child of Knowledge asked when some weird white thing started swimming towards him.

It turned out to be a huge squid digimon and he didn't look too happy.

"It's Gesomon!" Tentomon gasped.

"Geso-what?" Izzy asked.

"Gesomon. Take a bit of everything nasty that lives under water and stick them together and that's him." Tentomon explained.

"AAAAHHHH! You kids are on your own!" Dwayne yelled as he ran away, half of us glaring at him.

What a wimp!

"Good riddance. You were a lousy driver anyway." Gomamon said as he dived into the water.

"Gomamon digivolve too…IKKAKUMON!"

"I think we'll just get out of the way." Tentomon said as the two water digimon started growling at each other and fighting.

Gesomon tried to punch Ikkakumon, but the furry beast dodged it and used his Harpoon Torpedo, hitting him.

"Holy cow, what's going on?" a man asked as a crowd started appearing around us.

"They must be advertising something." Another man said.

"Advertising something? Get out of here." Another man said as some people started taking pictures of the fight.

"Maybe they're shooting a movie." Another man said as us Digidestinds started creeping away from the crowd.

Ikkakumon finally took Gesomon out, we all found some rope and logs, tying them to Gesomon and we either got on him or the logs as we hitched a ride back home that way, the sun setting.

"Well, so much for keeping a low profile." Matt said as he, Tai, Izzy, TK and their digimon rode on the logs while us girls and our partners were on Ikkakumon's back and Joe was on his head.

"At least we got away from lame Dwayne and we're all in one piece." My brother said.

"Nice work Ikkakumon. You nailed him!" Joe cheered making his partner laugh.

"Anyway, wouldn't you rather travel in the fresh air than underground in the subway?" the child of Courage asked.

"Oh, yeah. This is great." Sora said.

"And best of all, it's free." Tai said making Demiveemon and I giggle as the cool salty air blew my bangs back.

"Next stop; home!" Tai said making us all cheer.

"Does anybody have something to eat?" Mimi asked.

"Oh, Mimi. Not that again." Tai sighed.

"I was just asking." She said.

Man, what a day.

I can't wait to get home and see my family and to prove if my theory about Kari is right.

TBC