Author's Note: I have been watching ahead, and am looking forward to getting these fillers done and dusted soon, and then it is onto the main part of the story.

Dedications: Chapter dedicated to the following: Pedrohenrique-carvalho-16, Ulquiorra-Schiffer-4 and Aquamarinesong 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 Eleven: Honesty is the Best Policy

"Henry!" Kimiko called, spotting the level-headed tamer running ahead of her.

Henry slowed down his pace and waited for Kimiko to catch up. "Where's Labramon?" he asked.

"She took off ahead of me," Kimiko said. "I wouldn't be surprised if she's already there."

"She went alone?" Terriermon asked. "Aren't you worried?"

Kimiko nodded. "Yes, but Labramon knows not to pick a fight," she said. "Besides, she said something about Renamon."

"Do you think Rika's there?" Henry asked.

"I guess we'll find out," Kimiko said. Part of her wished that the red-head did make an appearance; it made tracking her down to talk hell of a lot easier that wandering around Shinjuku aimlessly.

Arriving at the baseball court, Henry and Kimiko gasped in both surprise and delight at the sight of Rika standing on one side of the fence.

"Rika, why are you outside?" Henry asked, slowing to a halt. "You're missing the fight. That's not like you. Where's Renamon? Is she in there?"

The gates rattled and Kimiko turned to see Labramon lying at the base of the fence. "Ah!" she cried, opening it and pulling her best friend to safety. "Labramon, are you OK?" she asked.

"I'm alright," Labramon replied, lifting her head to look at Kimiko. "But I'm worried about Renamon."

"Did you hear that, Rika?" Kimiko asked, looking back at the red-head. "Renamon needs you."

Rika hesitated, her whole body tense and her eyes focused on the digital field. She wanted to run in and help, but the ordeal with IceDevimon's was preventing her from moving a muscle. She had never been on to admit when she was afraid, or to ask for help, but right now she had both to combat.

Suddenly, without saying a word, Rika turned toe and took off back into the city.

"Rika!" Kimiko called. "Wait! Come on, Labramon." She jumped to her feet and took off after the red-head. Labramon hot on her tail.

"Kimiko, where are you going?" Henry called.

"I have to talk to her, Henry," Kimiko called back. "I'll catch up with you later."

~*Expect the Unexpected*~

Outside the park, Kimiko tracked Rika down and quickly caught up with her. "Hey, what was that back there," she said, falling into step beside the red-head. "You don't normally freeze up during a Digimon battle."

"Renamon just wanted me help her digivolve," Rika said. She wasn't sure what it was about the princess that made her want to talk, but the idea of getting her feelings out into the open seemed to make her feel better. "I'm not falling for it anymore. I don't need her."

"Rika," Kimiko said, surprised.

"Don't try and change my mind, Princess," Rika snapped.

Kimiko sighed and looked away from the girl beside her. "You know, it's OK to be upset and afraid," she said. "What happened to you, with IceDevimon, that's enough to freak anyone out, but you shouldn't take it out on your friends."

"I'm not afraid."

"Nervous then?"

Rika growled and clenched her fists.

"Look, Rika, I get it, you're a tough girl who feels that she doesn't need anyone's help," Kimiko said. "But it's not 'you-against-the-world' anymore, alright? You don't have to hide your true feelings, and you can admit when you're scared, we're not going to judge you."

"What's your point, Princess?"

"My name's Kimiko."

"Princess is better."

Kimiko shook her head. "Why don't you try and talk to Renamon?" she suggested. "Maybe we can sort this whole thing out."

"Didn't you just hear what I said? I don't need her. She just wants me to help her Digivolve. There's no partnership between us, we're not tamer and Digimon, we never were."

"That's not true!" Kimiko argued. "You and Renamon were made for each other, Rika; your personalities match 100%. Our Digimon... they weren't chosen at random, you know? I think we were all drawn to each other due to our individual characteristics."

"Then they screwed up with me," Rika said, sourly.

"I don't think they did," Kimiko said. "Like I said, yours and Renamon's personalities match perfectly. You're both stubborn and love to fight. What we do, it's not a game, but that doesn't mean we don't get to fight. I hate fighting, so does Labramon, but you and Renamon... when you're both together, you're unbeatable."

Rika shook her head and stared ahead. To Kimiko it looked like she was no longer paying attention, when in fact Rika was contemplating everything that the blonde had said. She was just unsure of what to say in return, or even if Kimiko intended for her to say anything at all.

"I'm sorry if you feel like I'm intruding," Kimiko said, stopping and letting Rika walk on ahead. "But I hope you consider what I have said. You and Renamon are partners, not enemies."

Rika still refused to reply. Instead she carried on walking, leaving Kimiko and Labramon to watch her disappear from sight.

~*Expect the Unexpected*~

After their brief encounter with both Henry and Rika, Labramon and Kimiko returned to home to find Kimiko's father waiting for them. The blonde frowned in complete confusion as she closed the door and ordered Labramon to stick close as she approached her dad.

It wasn't that she didn't trust her father, but sometimes, when he thought she wasn't aware, she had caught him calculating his chances of taking Labramon away. Yamaki, a genius as he was, wasn't completely aware of his daughter's knowledge. She knew his ways, his little quirks, almost better than he did.

"Where've you been?" Yamaki asked, turning away from the big window. His hands were behind his back as she surveyed his daughter and her pet.

"At the park," Kimiko replied.

"You know the rules. No leaving until you've finished homework."

"Labramon needed a walk," Kimiko said. "I can't deny her daily needs."

"Don't lie to me, Kimiko."

"I'm not lying!"

"Then tell me," said Yamaki. "Why were you seen near the Shinjuku guardrail yesterday?"

"What, is it a crime now to walk around unattended?"

"Don't get smart with me."

Kimiko resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "I had to pass the guardrail to get from here to Hypnos," she answered. "Happy?"

"You were seen, again, with those two boys, Takato Matusuki and Henry Wong."

"Yeah, so?" Kimiko asked with a shrug. "They're my friends."

"The game they're playing is dangerous, Kimiko, I'll have no daughter of mine sucked into it, do you understand me?"

"What game?"

"Their little Digimon pets."

Kimiko felt her hand tighten into a fist. She hid it behind her back as not for her father to see. Instead she tried to lie... again. "They're pretty cool, huh?" she asked.

"What are you talking about?"

"Guilmon and Terriermon," Kimiko said. "They're pretty cool? I mean, for a couple of animatronic stuffed-animals, I'd say they were pretty cool."

Yamaki bit back a growl. "You think this is funny, Kimiko?!" he snapped. "This game you're playing isn't fooling anyone, especially me. Stay away from those boys, and keep your dog on its leash, or I'll be forced to do something drastic but needed."

"Like what? Take her away?!" Kimiko asked. "You try and take her away and I'll tell Mum!"

"I am pretty sure your mother will agree when she hears of all the dangerous stuff these animals get into," Yamaki said. "She and I may not always see eye-to-eye, but there is one thing we've always agreed on, and that's you."

"You don't care about anything other than your stupid job!" Kimiko yelled. "Come on, Labramon, we're out of here."

Labramon turned on her tail and headed back for the door. Kimiko followed her, ignoring her father's yells for her to come back. She wrenched open the door, just as he took a step towards her, his hand reaching out to grab her shoulder, but he was too slow. With an almighty bang, Kimiko slammed the door shut on her father and took off running down the hall.

Kimiko didn't stop running until she reached the park. Once inside the gate she slid down the wall, curled herself into a ball and hugged her knees to her chest as she started to cry. She wasn't sure why she was crying; only that she was, and it had everything to do with her father.

~*Expect the Unexpected*~

"Hey, Princess, you alright?"

Kimiko raised her head as someone shook her back to her senses. She had stopped crying a while ago, but was still huddled in the same position she had been in when she first arrived at the park. "Red, what are you doing here?" she asked, looking up to see Rika standing over her.

"It's a public park," Rika replied.

"Sorry," Kimiko said, shaking her head.

"Are you crying?"

Kimiko nodded and looked down.

"Uh, why are you crying?"

"It doesn't matter," Kimiko said, rubbing her eyes. After all that crying she was getting kind if sleepy, but she couldn't go home. What if her father was still there? What if he was waiting for her? She couldn't bear to face him after everything that had been said and done earlier.

Rika sighed and sat down beside the blonde. She didn't have much experience with emotions, but she could tell that something was bothering Kimiko and the blonde had been more than forthcoming with her when she needed help, even though she hadn't ask for it.

Kimiko frowned and glanced sideways. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"Well, something is obviously bothering you," Rika said, "and I don't see either of your boyfriends around, so..." she shrugged.

"They aren't my boyfriends," Kimiko said. "They're my friends."

"Whatever. Why aren't you with them, anyway?"

"We don't do everything together."

"Could've fooled me."

Kimiko sighed and looked away. Maybe her father had a right to be concerned. If Rika was aware of the time she spent with Henry and Takato, then maybe distancing herself, or at least branching out in the friendship pool, would make people, especially her dad, les suspicious of her activities.

"I'm not a good talker," Rika said. "But apparently I am a good listener. If you want to get anything off your chest, do it now, I won't go anywhere."

"I hate my dad."

"Ha. Join the club."

Kimiko turned her head to stare at Rika. "You hate your dad too?" she asked.

"Yeah. I don't really know him that well," Rika admitted. "He left when I was a little girl. Why do you hate your dad?"

"He's a work-aholic," Kimiko explained. "He's never really noticed everything or anything I've done, everything I have achieved and gave up, I did for him, but now that I've got a few friends, and am actually acting like a normal kid my age, he's starting to take notice."

"My grandmother always said that people notice you more when you start to change."

"Yeah, maybe, but it kind of feels like he is noticing me for all the bad things that are happening."

"I'd hardly call 'gaining friends' a bad thing," Rika admitted. "I'd love to have your skill at making friends."

"What? Running away? Shielding yourself?"

"You don't do that. You wouldn't be friends with goggle-head and soccer tease if you did."

Kimiko forced a small smile. "My confidence has increased since I met Henry and Takato," she explained. "But I used to run from making friends a lot. I used to think that having friends would be a huge distraction in my main goals. But now I've come to realise that friends sometimes help you reach those goals."

"I guess," Rika said. "I'd still like to be able to make a friend."

"Well, you made friends with me, didn't you?"

"And maybe keeping one."

"You still got me," Kimiko said, cocking her head to the side and smiling, "and you've got Renamon."

Rika sighed and slouched in her seat. There was silence between the two girls', each one lost in their own train of thought. Suddenly a shrill noise cut through the silence, jarring both girls' from their own worlds.

Kimiko glanced at Rika as the red-head pulled her cellphone from her pocket and answered it. The conversation didn't last long, and from the hostility in Rika's voice, Kimiko could tell it didn't go so well.

"My grandmother," Rika said, after hanging up. "She wants me to pick up potatoes on my way home. I hate potatoes."

"I'm not fussed," Kimiko admitted. "Don't feel compelled to stay with me. If you want to go home, you're more than welcome too."

"Aren't you going home?"

"I don't want to face my dad."

"What about your mom?"

Kimiko shook her head. "She's not home yet," she answered. "I can't wait for her to come back. I can then finally get away from my dad."

"Where is she?"

"Visiting my grandparents. She's a doctor, so she travels frequently."

Rika nodded and then stood up. It had grown dark during their conversations, and she knew that she had to be getting home soon. If she didn't, her mother and grandmother were sure to worry about her. "Do you want me to walk home with you?" she asked.

"Nah, I think I'm going to stay a little while longer," Kimiko said. "Thank you anyway."

"No problem. Don't stay out here too long, Princess."

Kimiko smiled and watched as Rika took off. That had been the longest she'd ever been in conversation with Rika before. It both scared her and fascinated her. Maybe there was hope for the red-head yet.

~*Expect the Unexpected*~

After saying goodbye to Jeri, both Takato and Guilmon were joined by Henry and Terriermon, both of whom had been tracking down the weird guy that had stopped them earlier that afternoon. Has Henry had stated earlier, it wasn't natural adult behavior for a grown man to know so much about a group of kids.

"He got away from me," Henry said, hunched over and breathing heavily. "Whoever he is, he sure is sneaky."

"Who's sneaky?"

Henry and Takato looked around to see Kimiko pushing her way through the bushes. From the state of her appearance and the redness of her eyes, they could tell that something was amiss.

"Have you been crying?" Takato asked.

"No," Kimiko replied, a little too quickly.

"Yeah, you have," Henry said. "What's the matter?"

Kimiko shook her head. "Nothing. I'm fine," she said. Henry frowned and exchanged a look with Takato; it wasn't like Kimiko to hide anything from them. "Why have you been running, Henry?" she asked, trying to change the subject.

"We've been chasing someone," Terriermon said. "Some weird grown-up with blonde hair and glasses."

Kimiko stiffened. Was it possible that her father had tracked down Henry and Takato before she had met him at home or had he come across them while out searching for her? She shook her head, she didn't care what he said, there wasn't a chance that he would've been worried enough to leave work to search for her.

"He knew way too much about us," Henry said, keeping a close, but discreet, eye on Kimiko.

A bird screeching in the distance unexpectedly put the three Digimon present on high alert. Guilmon and Labramon growled, the fur on Labramon's coat bristled, and Terriermon jumped down off of Henry's shoulders, landing on the dog's back, as she sped past him, caused the three humans to gasp.

"Labramon!"

"Terriermon!"

"Guilmon!" Takato shouted, as his dinosaur run off after the other two.

Exchanging anxious looks, the three friends took off after their partners. The closer they grew to the disturbance, the sooner their digivices alerted them to the problem.

Kimiko held hers up as she ran. "It's Harpymon," she said, running level with Henry and Takato. "She's one nasty Digimon with a screech like nails down a chalkboard."

"Who is she fighting?" Takato asked.

"Something tells me, if it's not one of ours, then it has to be Renamon," Kimiko said. She put her digivice away and pulled out her glasses as they breeched the surface of the digital field.

There, on the centre of the field, diving out of the way of Harpymon's claws was Renamon.

"This isn't good," Henry said, holding up his own digivice. "Renamon's going to have a tough time dealing with her wind-seeker attack."

"Where's Rika?" Takato asked, looking around. The red-head was nowhere to be found. "I don't see her anywhere."

Sensing the arrival of three new targets, Harpymon turned her attention away from Renamon and onto Guilmon, Labramon and Terriermon. She rose into the air and spread her arms wide, screeching "Wind-Seeker!" as a curved attack of white light hit the ground between the three friends.

Labramon grabbed Terriermon's scruff between her teeth and dragged him aside, as Guilmon dived the other way.

"Ow," Terriermon huffed, rubbing the back of his neck once Labramon had let him go.

"Diamond Storm!" Renamon shouted, jumping into the air and showering her own primary attack down over Harpymon. The screeching Digimon crossed her wings and deflected the attack with ease.

Kimiko gasped and took a hesitant step forward. She wasn't sure of what to do, but she knew that she couldn't stand by and watch Renamon get hurt or worse.

"Hold on, Princess."

Henry, Takato and Kimiko turned to see Rika and Calumon running towards them through the digital field. The small, long-eared Digimon laughed and jumped into Kimiko's arms as Rika pulled her back, away from the fighting.

"Rika, it's about time!" Takato said.

Despite her arrival, Rika made her attempt to help Renamon. Instead she stared at the foxlike Digimon battle it out with Harpymon without her. With two well-aimed punches, Renamon rendered Harpymon incapacitated.

"She's frozen like a statue," Takato said, watching with anticipation.

"Isn't she going to finish off Harpymon and load her data?" Henry asked, curiously.

"I could load the data of every opponent I fight and then take them apart one by one, but what's the point after it's all over?" Renamon asked, closing her eyes and bowing her head.

From the ground, Harpymon started to stir. She rose up from the ground, crossed her wings and screeched "WIND-SEEKER!" hitting Renamon with a curved white light, which knocked her off of her feet.

The tamers gasped as they watched, helplessly.

Rising into the air, Harpymon attacked Renamon with her talons, but the foxlike Digimon rolled either side to avoid the sharp claws that would've surely deleted her if she missed a step.

"Rika, she has to digivolve!" Kimiko pleaded, turning to the red-head.

Immediately, Rika reached for her cards and digivice that were usually on her hip, but found that they weren't there. She mentally cursed herself for taking them off and leaving them at home, Renamon needed her, and now she had no way of helping her defend herself.

Now what do I do? Rika asked herself, looking around for something that may have helped the situation. She could've easily asked Kimiko to borrow her digivice, and she knew that Kimiko would've happily handed it over, but there was nothing it would've done, because Kimiko's device wasn't connected to Renamon, therefore the attack wouldn't have worked.

Starting to feel desperate, Rika grabbed a broken twig from the ground and rushed forward, bypassing Guilmon, Terriermon and Labramon in her fraught attempt to help Renamon.

"Uh..." Kimiko squeaked, stumbling forward.

"Rika!" Takato yelled, as he and Henry each caught Kimiko's arms to stop her from following the red-head into the middle of the battlefield.

Unheeding her friend's calls, Rika plunged the broken twig into Harpymon's side, successfully stopping her attack on Renamon, but unsuccessfully turning her full attention onto the smaller human. Standing her ground, but utterly terrified at the sudden turn of events, Rika braced herself for the attack.

It never came.

"Digivolution..."

Driven by the need to protect Rika, at all costs, Renamon jumped up from the ground and put herself between Harpymon and her friend. Only his time she wasn't Renamon... she was now Kyubimon.

"Wind-Seeker!"

"Fox Tail Inferno!" Kyubimon shouted, raising all nine of her tails, each one blazing brightly with a ball of fire at its tip. The fireballs rose into the air, and swirled towards Harpymon, cutting through her wind-seeker attack and bombarding the bird ten-fold. She sparked and broke down into red flecks of data, all of which disappeared without being downloaded into Kyubimon's system.

Rika frowned. "You're not loading her data?" she asked.

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't need it anymore," Kyubimon answered.

"I don't understand."

"I don't need an opponent's data because I have you."

Rika gasped. "Uh, because of me?" she asked.

"Rika, you just saved my life," Kyubimon said, turning to face the red-head. "Why did you do it?"

"Someone had to do it," Rika said, awkwardly. "You saved my life once."

"You were just repaying a debt?"

"No, that's not what I meant," Rika said, catching a glimpse of Kimiko out of the corner of her eye. She remembered what the blonde had said about her and Renamon being friends, rather than enemies, and couldn't help but smile inwardly. "You're my partner," she said, turning back to Kyubimon.

"And that's what partners do. We protect each other. Is that what you're saying?"

Rika chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, something like that," she agreed. "We'll watch each other's back."

"Uh, I don't get it," Takato said, confused now more than ever.

Kimiko rolled her eyes and turned to face him. "Rika and Renamon are too alike than even they care to admit," she said. "They were both worried about each other, but also too stubborn to admit that they needed one another."

"They'd rather go on playing silly games until the drop," said Henry, catching on quicker than Takato. "Almost like being honest with each other would be too hard."

"Something like that," Kimiko said, causing Takato, Henry, Guilmon and Terriermon to start laughing at the revelation.

Copyrighted ©

Chapter written by xXxKaraBeckerCutterxXx

Chapter updated Tuesday, 10 February 2015 at 1:53am