Author's Note: Sorry for the late update. I was caught up writing a new story.

Dedications: Chapter dedicated to the following: for adding this story and/or me to their alerts. Appreciate it.

I don't own Digimon. But I do own any original characters that are of my own design.

Title: Expect the Unexpected

Summary: Kimiko is the estranged daughter of Mitsuo Yamaki. For her fifteenth birthday she acquires the Digimon: Labramon and becomes the fourth Digimon Tamer.

Chapter Seven: Introducing Growlmon

"Listen up everyone," Mr. Katashi called from the front of the classroom. "There have been reports of a child playing in Shinjuku Park after dark."

Kimiko glanced around her as a number of her classmates as each of them gasped at the surprise. It was almost as if half of them hadn't snuck out while their parent's backs were turned. She rolled her eyes and returned her attention to her notebook.

"I don't think I need to remind you of this, but just in case I do - no wandering around after dark, OK?"

"OK!" everyone chimed at the same time.

Kimiko groaned and glanced out of the window. There was only one 'child' that she could think of that hung around in the park after dark, and it wasn't a human child. "Takato, what has your mayhem causing dinosaur done now?" she grumbled.

"Good. Now as soon as you finish up, you may leave," Mr. Katashi said.

Collecting her notebook, Kimiko stood and walked to the front of the room. She handed it over with a smile, before nabbing her backpack from her cupboard and leaving the classroom. Behind her she could hear the mild whispers of her classmates as they talked amongst themselves. Some of the whispers were about the kid in the park after dark, while others were about her.

Flashing those who were dumb enough to stare at her a false smile, Kimiko closed the door and headed outside.

She found a single tree at the side of the school, and slunk down until she was sitting comfortably at the base; she had left Labramon at home today, simply because Calumon had stayed the previous evening and Kimiko couldn't afford to lock him in while she was at school - not to mention what her father would say if he come home and found him.

Fishing her homework books from inside her backpack, Kimiko set them out in front of her and started on the first problem as many other students filed out onto the grounds to play. As she moved onto the second problem, the leaves in the tree above her rustled and she looked up to see Terriermon hanging from the branches.

"Why am I not surprised?" Kimiko asked, looking down to see Henry and Takato walking towards her.

"Having fun?" Henry asked as soon as he was close enough.

"I was," Kimiko said. "What's with the long face, Takato?"

"Did you hear about the kid that was supposedly terrorizing couples in the park after dark?"

"Yeah, Mr. Katashi warned us about it a few minutes ago," Kimiko answered. "Why, do you think it's Guilmon?"

Takato shrugged. "Do you think it's him?" he asked.

"He's the only child-like thing that dwells in the park at night," Kimiko said. "But I don't think he leaves his shelter."

"Yeah, and he doesn't really look like a kid to me," Henry added.

"That's true," Takato agreed. "Can you see Guilmon with a backpack?"

"Full of food," Henry chuckled.

Kimiko smiled and shook her head as leaves fluttered down from above and landed on her work. She brushed them aside and looked as Terriermon popped down from the branches.

"Wise up, guy," the long-eared rabbit said, crossing his arms. "They only thing it's a kid because it's too small to be an adult."

"Did I ask you?" Henry asked. Terriermon remained quiet, but the smile on his face didn't falter. "I didn't think so. Anyway, I heard the principal telling the teachers that they have to start patrolling the park tonight."

Kimiko saw Takato stiffen suddenly, before he burst out in protest. "But that's horrible," he said. "They're going to catch Guilmon this time for sure."

"Not if you make sure he understands the consequences of leaving his shelter," Kimiko said. "If you tell him that he could be taken away if he leaves, he may just listen this once."

"Yeah, maybe," Takato said with a deep sigh. "What if he doesn't?"

"Well, that's his fault," Kimiko said, shaking her head. "Not yours. I gotta go," she added as she checked the screen of her cellphone, and then stuffing all of her work back into her backpack. "My dad's on his way home from work and Labramon's there with Calumon. I'll see you later, guys," she waved to them as she run out of the side gates.

~*Expect the Unexpected*~

After a few hours of doing homework, Kimiko found that she had finished all that she had been given and decided to order take-out food rather than cook for herself. Her father had come home earlier that afternoon, changed and left again without so much as a look in her direction.

"I can't wait for Mum to come home," Kimiko grumbled taking the phone from the receiver and dialing the all too familiar number of her favourite take out restaurant. Her mother and she ordered from them often, but since she was now living with her father this was the first time she'd ordered from them.

Once her order had been placed, Kimiko gave her address and hung up.

"Labramon, food will be here within the hour," Kimiko called to her Digimon.

"You may have to call back and cancel," Labramon said, bounding out into the room. "A Digimon just bio-merged."

Grabbing her Digivice from the table, Kimiko held it up, hoping to get some data from it, just as there came a knock at her door. Scurrying over, Kimiko pulled it open to reveal Henry and Terriermon on the other side. "You ready to go?" Henry asked.

"Mhm," Kimiko nodded, locking the door behind her. "Wait, what about Takato and Rika?"

"I have a feeling Rika's already there," Henry said, "and I tried to call Takato, he's not home."

"Finger's crossed that he's already there too," Kimiko said, following Henry down the stairs at a brisk run. They burst out onto the street and headed straight towards where the most shouts and screams were coming from.

~*Expect the Unexpected*~

"It's up there!" Labramon shouted, bounding ahead with Calumon and Terriermon riding on her back.

Henry and Kimiko grasped hands as they run through crowds of people - somewhere running away, while others had stopped to get a better look. Soon they reached the epi-centre of the destruction to find a giant, black Digimon standing in front of the Hypnos building.

"Isn't that -?" Kimiko started.

"Devidramon!" Rika answered as she arrived behind the two.

"But where's Takato?" Henry asked, looking around for the last Tamer.

"Up there," Labramon said, as she spotted Takato not that far from Devidramon.

"Right in the line of fire," Terriermon giggled.

"That doesn't help!" Henry scolded.

"Pyro sphere," Guilmon said from somewhere out of sight. There was a blast of red thrown at Devidramon, but the beast Digimon deflected it with a swipe of his arm. The wind picked up as Devidramon took to the skies, deflecting another fireball with his wings.

"Digi-modify, hyper-wing activate!" Takato said, swiping his card through his Digivice. White wings appeared on either side of Guilmon's shoulders and he too took to the skies, but was batted down like a fly from Devidramon. "Digi-modify, speed activate!"

Just before Devidramon's claws could grab Guilmon, the red dinosaur swerved to the left.

"What is he doing?" Rika asked, annoyed. "Speed won't work here! Oh, he's his own worst enemy!"

"Rika, wait!" Kimiko called, chasing after the red-head as she headed for Takato.

"Had enough, Rookie?" Devidramon growled as he crushed Guilmon into the ground. He picked the red dinosaur up by his neck and threw him into the side of the Hypnos building.

"Guilmon," Takato cried.

"Tak...ato..." Guilmon groaned, clearly weakened from the assault he was taking.

"I'm running out of cards," Takato whined, digging deep for another modify-card. In his haste to retrieve one, he ended up dropping the whole lot onto the floor and was in the midst of collecting them when the others arrived.

"Hey, Takatomon," Terriermon called. "Guess what I just found out. Guilmon's innocent, well mostly innocent. He was set up by that nasty little puppy kicker Impmon. Now go tell him you're not mad anymore."

Takato gasped and turned back to where Guilmon was taking a second beating. "I was wrong," he breathed, as Devidramon held Guilmon in place with his spiked tail. "You have to get up!" he yelled to his friend.

"I am trying," Guilmon choked out.

"You just have to try harder," Takato said. "I don't want to lose you, you're my best friend."

"I'm your best friend?" Guilmon repeated. "You're not... mad?"

"I can't stay mad at you," Takato said, "and it's my fault for not trusting you, Guilmon."

"Trust me?" Guilmon asked gasping as Devidramon applied more pressure to his throat.

"GUILMON!" Takato yelled in fear.

Just then a bright red light exploded from Calumon's forehead, and surrounded Guilmon. Henry, Kimiko, Rika and Takato raised their hands to block out the light as Guilmon growled and digivolved.

Digivolution.

"It's Growlmon!" Takato exclaimed as the red light surrounding Guilmon disappeared, and revealed an even bigger dinosaur than before.

"Pyro blaster!" Growlmon commanded belting out a giant fireball at Devidramon who flew off before it could hit him. The fireball hit the Hypnos building, and Kimiko drew in a breath as she knew her father and everyone who worked for him were supposed to be inside.

Smashing his claws into the side of the building, Growlmon climbed to ridge and glowered up at Devidramon as he swooped in for another attack.

"Back for more?" the beast Digimon growled.

"Dragon slash!" Growlmon said, slashing at the beast Digimon with his claws.

"This is good," said Takato, as he watched Growlmon attack Devidramon. But the beast Digimon had the advantage due to his wings and flight maneuvers. Taking hold of Growlmon's shoulders, Devidramon flew into the air and dropped the dinosaur from great heights.

"Maybe it's not as good as you once thought," Kimiko said, jumping back as Growlmon crashed into the bridge, splitting it in two.

"Growlmon!" Takato yelled, running forward.

"Takato, wait, don't get too close!" Henry called, chasing after him.

Rika and Kimiko followed at a brisk pace, but kept their distance from the fighting. Growling in frustration and anger, Growlmon raised his head and blasted Devidramon with another full-powered fireball, causing him to disintegrate and the Tamers and other Digimon to shield their eyes from the blast.

With Devidramon defeated, bright white and blue lights surrounded Growlmon as he absorbed the data from his defeated foe.

Copyrighted ©

I apologize for the shortness of this chapter. Hopefully the next one will be longer. See you Tuesday when I update the next chapter.

Chapter written by xXxKaraBeckerCutterxXx

Chapter updated Sunday, 25 May 2014 at 7:21pm