Moving Forward

Disclaimer: OC's are mine!

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I don't have a catchy title. Let alone a catchy summery. If this fic gets off the runway, then I'll be happy, if not, I won't keep it up.

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It was in the wee hours of the morning. Tai Kamiya groaned and he shifted, rolling over onto his back to reach for his cellphone that's charging on the nightstand. With blurry eyes he looked at the caller id. He didn't recognize the number, so he set his phone back down and moved to stuff his head under the pillow and the ringing finally stopped.

But his cell phone started to ring again. Growling, Tai shifted and sat up on his bed, no longer interested in sleep, he snatched his phone and opened it. "Hey! Don't you know what time it is pal?!" He barked out.

Nobody there.

"Listen pal, I'm hanging up!" Tai barked. "You call again, I'm gonna."-

"Tai?" The familiar voice spoke. "It's me … Meiko."

Tai blinked. "Huh?" He moved his phone away from his ear to look at it, then moved it back to his ear. "Meiko?" He asked. "Meiko Mochizuki?"

"Yes." Her voice sounded like she had been crying. "I'm sorry for calling." She apologized. "I shouldn't have disturbed you."

"Wait, Meiko!" Tai tried, but it was too late, she had hung up.

For a long moment, Tai sat on his bed staring at him cell. He twisted around to put on the lamp, flooding the bedroom with light and of course making him wince.

Tai immediately got out of bed and started to move about. He knelt down and pulled out a duffel bag. Standing up, the bag was tossed onto the bed and immediately clothes were thrown into the duffel.

Tai grabbed his cell again and flipped it open, then scrolled down to a name and hit the number and of course got her voicemail. "Kari, I don't know how, but I think something's happened in Tottori. So I'm on the next flight out there. I don't know how long I'll be gone." With that he hung up and dropped his cell on the bed, before he moved out of the bedroom to get to the bathroom. After a few minutes, he returns to his room.

Underwear? Check, toothbrush? Check, pants, shorts? Check. Shirts? Hairbrush? Check. Charger? Check, and cellphone, check, wallet and deodorant? Check check.

Shoving everything into the duffel, it took Tai a few moments to zip up the bag.

Snatching up his duffel and swinging it onto his shoulder, Tai power walked out of his apartment and headed out of the building and hailed a taxi.

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It was a beautiful day, it wasn't to hot or too cool, just a nice breeze. Meiko Mochizuki sat in a lawn chair wearing a light pink t-shirt and blue jean shorts with her long black pulled up into a high ponytail. She was just staring up at the blue sky.

An elderly woman walked up to her and eased herself down in a chair. "Are you alright, dear?" She asked gently, reaching over to gently pat the younger girl's arm.

"There's just so much to do." Meiko said. "The lawyer, the house, garage sales, the car." She listed them off. "So much to do!" Tears gathered in her eyes.

"That's why you have me." The elder smiled, her smile faded as she reached over to gently pat Meiko's arm. "Everything's gonna be ok, just take a few deep breaths."

Meiko nods as she does so. "Ok, I can do this." She told herself. "I, I can do this."

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"That goggle head!" Mimi yelled with anger, steam coming out of her nose. "I'm going to wring him up by his goggles!" She threatened.

"Mimi, not in front of Kari!" Sora told her calmly.

"Oh, I'm fine." Kari reassured her. "But Mimi will have to be second. Tai is my brother. I get to behead him first." After waking up the following morning, Kari found the voicemail on her cell and now the group is in the park.

"Well, whatever happened." Joe decided. "Tai is definitely gonna get an earful from Mimi." It was rare that he gets a day off.

"And he'll lose hearing in one ear too." Izzy agrees. "He might in both ears once Mimi's done."

Joe winced. "Don't ever give Mimi a microphone!"

Mimi narrows her eyes on him. "Joe!" She starts in a threatening manner, and he gulps before quickly hiding behind Izzy, who sighed heavily as he shook his head.

"Why don't we go to that new mall?" Sora suggested, feeling the need to change the subject.

"The mall?" TK asks, completely confused as he stared at his brother's girlfriend. "Sora."-

"PERFECT IDEA!" Mimi streaked with stars in her eyes, loving the idea. "Let's go now!" She grabs Izzy's hand and in a flash the two are gone with a trail of dust after them.

"Whoa." Kari shook her head. "Poor Izzy."

Matt shook his head, his arms folded. "He's not going to be happy with you Sora."

"Which is why all of us are going." Sora replied.

"What?" Joe turned to her. "Sora, it's the weekend!" He reminds. "The stores and everything are going to be jam packed. It's gonna be difficult to even get a parking spot!"

"Which is why I like to shop online." Kari smiled. "So much easier that way and less stress."

"It's for Meiko!" Sora told them. "We still don't know what's happened. But something nice will help cheer her up."

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Meiko sighs as she finished wrapping a vase with bubble wrap and place it inside the box in front of her.

"Meiko, there's a very handsome young man here to see you!" Miss. Rose, the elderly woman called from the hallway.

"Huh?" Meiko blinked confused. She carefully moved around the boxes on the floor of the kitchen, her eyes grew behind her glasses as she watches Tai walk into the room. "Tai?"

He nods. "Hi."

Instantly Meiko rushed over to him in tears, throwing her around around his neck and burying her face into his chest.

"Oooh, I see you guys know each other." Miss. Rose notes, watching as Tai wrapped his arms around Meiko.

"Yes ma'am." He nods, letting Meiko silently cry as he held her close.

"I'll head to the backyard then." Miss. Rose nods, with that she turns and walks out of the kitchen.

Meiko's hands fist into Tai's shirt, keeping him in place as her tears continued to fall and wet his shirt.