One-in-Two Secrets
Data Remnants

… Six Months After the Event …

Ryoichi stood outside of the medical room where Yuuko was coming for her prenatal care. Nami of course was with her, and she really was the person he wanted to see. She of course kept having the same misunderstandings she always did, and would even glare at him while he was there. She finally stepped out of the room. "Why don't you just man up and ask her?"

"Ask her what Nami?"

"That's Asaji-san to you mister until you man up. This is your chance. Mind you... I doubt my sister will ever get over nii-san, but nee-chan honestly needs someone."

"I am honestly not following." The man raised his hands up, and his mouth twisted up in confusion."

"Ask my sister to marry you."

"Marry..." Ryoichi found himself taking a very deep breath. "You really have some really messed up ideas. And what if Sasumu comes back."

Nami crossed her arms as her voice rose up. "What do you mean if Sasumu comes back? Sasumu is dead. He's died in the explosion. That's on his death certificate. It was also your experiment that made it so he's dead, and that's left my sister a widow with a baby on the way. Plus... you have feelings for my sister. Man up and marry her. Plus... it will look good for your company." The woman brushed past him. "I'm going to go and get a coffee. Not that your companies coffee is any good."

Ryoichi's hands fell to his side. "Am I to take it as you hate me right now?"

"Of course. I can't stand a man who can't do right by my sister."

As soon as Nami was gone Ryoichi let out a sigh of frustration before ruffling his hair with both hands. He then knocked on the door to Yuuko's room. Her voice came from inside the room. "I'm actually finished in here. How are you doing Ryoichi."

Another sigh escaped his mouth before he opened the door. "How did you know it was me?"

"You like Nami. You always..." Yuuko's smile fell. The smile hadn't been a completely positive one, but now what little was there was now gone. "What ever is the matter?"

"She won't stop. Your sister I mean. Right now she blames me for what happened to Sasumu. She thinks I owe you. I honestly can't say I blame her. She thinks though I should marry you and replace Sasumu completely."

Yuuko looked at the wall. "It isn't as if he's coming back."

"Not coming back? That man wouldn't give up that easily, not when you're the most important thing in his life. Yuuko... he's going to find a way back from the Digital World."

"He's dead Ryoichi."

"Are you going to give up on his that easily? I'm not."

"It's not a matter of giving up! It's a matter of facing reality! And you don't owe me anything!" Yuuko paused. A deep breath came out of her mouth. "Well... I can't say you don't owe me anything. But you know how I'd like you to repay me? I'd like you to marry my sister."

"Yuuko... that boat's sailed. She is of the firm belief I need to marry you, and that I need to help you raise this child."

Yuuko looked at the ground. "She would be that way. Don't pay her no mind. By the way... she is rather late getting back."

Nami suddenly came from the other side of the door. "That's it. I've decided."

Ryoichi felt the corner of his mouth twitch. "Nami..."

"It's Asaji-san! I told you that!"

"That look on your face. You're up to something I'm not going to like."

"You bet I am!" Nami pointed at the two. "We're going to the municipal government office."

Yuuko blinked a couple of times. "Nami... doesn't there need to be two witnesses."

The younger twin suddenly tugged on the arm of someone. "I found this person who was more then willing to help."

"Ichijouji-san?" Ryoichi blinked a couple of times.

The blue haired man quickly bowed to the man. "Gomenasai! She's very... forthright?"

"That is a good word for it." Yuuko's hands clenched the front of her clothes. "And what if I say no Nami? Or Ryoichi says no?"

The younger twin pointed her finger at her twin. "I will keep hounding you until you two concede. This is for the good of you two. I also know where both of you live!" Nami walked over and hooked her arms into those of Yuuko and Ryoichi.

… Eight Months After Event …

The room was dark except for the computer monitor screens people worked form as well as the major screen in the front of the room. Nami's insistence that he and Yuuko marry aggravated things very much, and thus came a shotgun wedding that both he and Yuuko hadn't wanted. "Come on Ryoichi... this situation is only until we get Sasumu back."

He didn't spend the nights at home with Akiyama Yuuko, and even if they did the two had separate rooms from each other. The marriage was one of convenience as Nami put it, and she rubbed in the fact he still would never win Yuuko's heart. "Damn it Nami... you're the one whose heart I want to win."

The man took a deep breath as he continued. One of the other people noted how late it was, and the man sighed. He was about to sign out, but a glow from the monitors suddenly occurred. He took a deep breath remembering this was what occurred the day Sasumu dissapeared. He stood up and pushed the chair back. "Everyone! Leave the room now!"

Everyone hurried out of the room expecting an explosion like the one that hit six months ago. The door shut, and one of the staff members cracked a joke about how it was a good thing they had gotten out, otherwise Yuuko would yet again be a widow after only a months time.

No smoke came. Instead a bright light filled the room, and came from under the crack in the door. When it faded he headed to the door, and opened it up still expecting the worse. His eyes widened upon seeing something completely different. Two people in lab jackets lay on the floor semi-conscious. The male sat up first and rubbed his head. Akiyama swallowed. "Sasumu?"

The man in question stared at Akiyama in confusion. "Ryoichi? What are you doing here? I thought you headed over to Yuuko and my place to spend time with the twins and Nami-chan?"

The color quickly drained from Akiyama's face as Yuuko – who was supposed to be home in bed weeping – sat up. "Sasumu... what year do you think it is?"

"Year? What a funny question is that." The man let out a laugh and recited the month and date correctly, but then gave a year two years later. "What? Is something the matter Sasumu?"

"Yeah... there is something definitely the matter." Akiyama found himself swallowing knowing he would have to break the news to the other Yuuko. He would also finally have to explain things to Nami about what they'd been doing this whole time.

… In the Present …

The fourteen year old felt his left hand hit the ground hard enough that the palm became scrapped, and his elbow ended up jarred. His left knee also hit the ground hard. Tai sat up closing one eye as he lifted his knee up to inspect the damage. His eyes took in the fact his school uniform was now ripped at the knee area, and the skin was badly scrapped. One hand reached up to rub his head to curse his luck, only to pause when he caught site of the grave in front of him.

Tai suddenly found himself back peddling so that his back was against the grave behind him. A sound escaped from his throat as he tried to yell out for someone, and his normally tan skin from playing outside turned a ghastly white – and not because of the rain. His brown eyes widened at the horror of the grave in front of him. The name on the grave read Yagami Sasumu.

Tai's entire body shook as he continued to stare at the grave. The woman's voice didn't make him stop staring in horror either. "Taichi! Seriously! We were just talking about you doing stupid things. We told you not to visit Ryo's grave, and yet you do just that. What are we going to do if Hikari followed you here? Please tell me you didn't..." The woman's voice slowed. "... turn in this direction."

The fourteen year old's head suddenly jerked from where he was still sitting in front of the ground. His eyes were still wide with horror, and he tried holding back the emotions that were welling up. "Yagami Sasumu?" Tai chocked back wanting to yell at the woman. "What kind of sick joke is this? Our dad is very much alive. I know I don't get along with him like Kari does, but I know he very well is alive."

The look on the woman's face caused Tai to push himself back slightly as his throat tightened. The woman's mouth was twisted up into a frown as she stared at Tai. "You weren't supposed to see this."

The fourteen year old felt his Adam's apple bob down, and his hand's clenched. The left opened back up due to the pain from where his hand scraped the ground. "If the person buried here is Yagami Sasumu, then who have I been calling father this whole time? Actually... why was I living with people who weren't my biological parents?"

"Taichi..."

Tai's voice began to raise as the panic in the back of his mind. "It's bad enough with that woman hating me like she does, but you also hated me enough to give me up like that? Was that one of those experiments where you separate twins into different family environments to see how they'll turn out? Because I honestly don't enjoy the idea of being manipulated like this."

"Taichi..."

"I've grown up this entire time thinking Kari was my half sibling! I thought you and dad... the man I thought was my dad... got divorced or something like that. Now I come to find out you just randomly gave me up to some stranger for some kind of experiment. What am I supposed to think of that?"

"Will you please listen to me?"

"Why should I listen to you!" Tai could feel his voice straining as his voice suddenly rose to past the point he wanted it to. "I've always hated lying to Kari! I've always hated the fact she didn't know any of this either! I've hated the fact Ryo and I were separated, and not allowed to acknowledge each other. It's been lie after lie! And Ryo! Do you know what you did to him? Do you know how alone he always felt?"

He watched as the woman took a deep breath. One hand held onto the umbrella she retrieved, while the other reached out to grab his hand. Tai suddenly slapped it away, and found himself pushing himself off the ground and into the sprint. This time he headed down towards the entrance, and blew past Agumon without realizing he had done so.