A/N: For those of you who might have noticed, this story has a new cover art courtesy of edgiboi from Ao3. It depicts the scene from chapter 27 where Takato picks up Rika bridal style. Thanks, edgiboi. It put a much-needed smile on my face. :)

Thanks also goes out to Ruki44 as well for being a much-needed second set of eyes for Yua's character for my first dive into her head and thoughts. Always appreciated. :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.

Seeing Red

Chapter: 30

Takato followed Rika through the park and to the streets leading to her home. Guilmon kept a respectable distance behind them, understanding that the couple needed this moment between them. Takato made a mental note to thank him later for his discretion. He turned his attention toward Rika. She hadn't said a word since the meeting ended and they were all given their schedules.

"Boy, that business with Henry's classmate sure is weird, isn't it?" he said, testing the waters. Rika made a noncommittal grunt, but nothing else. Her eyes held a distant look to them. Her silence worried him, as did the frown she wore. For some reason he couldn't understand, Rika preferred to suffer alone instead of reaching out and talking about whatever lay on her mind. She didn't do it much now, not like she did when she was younger, but once something became serious enough she would lapse back into her earlier habits. His own instincts were the opposite, desiring to reach out to her and do something, even when he had no idea what to do for her. Fortunately, the years taught him that acting without knowledge, even if good in intent, could cause more problems than he solved.

Still, that didn't mean he couldn't help in other ways. He knew Rika a little better now, and knew how to remind her she didn't have to face all her struggles alone.

His fingers threaded between hers gently, and he felt her stiffen in surprise. She didn't pull away though. Instead, her hand gripped tight about his and squeezed tight.

"Sorry," she said softly, her eyes turning up at him. "I guess I got lost in my own head. For a moment, I forgot you were still here."

Takato smiled back. "I'll always be there for you," he said. "Even if I'm not always by your side, I'll be right here." He tapped his chest meaningfully. "I meant what I said today." His thumb stroked the smooth skin of her hand lovingly. "That's a promise and that's forever."

Rika hmphed, and then looked away. "Forever's a long time," she said, doing her best to ignore the blush growing on her cheeks.

"I know. I use that a lot when I probably shouldn't." Takato scratched the back of his head. "But I mean it."

Rika squeezed his hand again. "I know," she admitted. "I'm just being goggleheaded about things."

"What kind of things?" Takato asked, ignoring the obvious, low hanging fruit she left for him.

Rika drew in a deep breath and Takato could hear the shaky anxiety in it. "Do you…ever think about things like having a family? Having kids?"

Takato lifted an eyebrow. Of all the responses he expected, that one hadn't been on his bingo card. "I… Yeah. Sure. I mean, not all the time, but sometimes I wonder about it. I raised Guilmon, so I kind of know what to expect, but he's a very different from a human baby."

"Very different," Rika agreed.

"I mean, most babies aren't born shooting fireballs out of their mouths." Takato gave a short, rough laugh. His heart didn't feel in it though, and he saw Rika wouldn't be affected by it either. "After we were… You know." He blushed brightly just then, remembering Rika's naked body and the feel of her in his hands. "That time we were in your room when you wanted to…"

When he didn't finish, Rika turned toward him. He saw the memory of that day – the caresses and kisses they shared with one another – in her eyes, causing her own cheeks to darken still more.

"Right," she nodded. "T-That time."

"Yeah. I…" He swallowed nervously. "I thought about it then. I mean, not right away, but later. I…" He frowned. "It's hard to put into words."

"Then let me help make it simple. Do you want kids? With me?"

Rika's sudden blunt question caused Takato to blink in surprise. Still, he hastily inspected his feelings on the matter so he could give her his best, most honest response.

"I think… Yeah. I think I'd like to have a family with you one day. If that's what you want."

Rika's expression softened, and more, looked upset. As if he were putting the entire onerous decision onto her.

"I don't know if I do," she said regretfully, and looked away. "I think I'd see kids as annoying brats if I ever had them. And I think that digimon we made knew that and that's why it ran from us."

"What makes you say that?" Takato asked, honestly confused as to where she got that idea from.

"It didn't come to us, did it?" Rika replied, her tone becoming angry. She pulled her hand from his and then folded her arms together. "It didn't even try to cross over. And-And when I thought about it coming into our world, I felt weird. I hesitated. Like I didn't want it."

"Rika, we don't know what it felt." Hesitantly, Takato wrapped his arm about her waist and drew her close to him. Rika didn't resist, but her arms remained crossed. "It's new to the world and Yamaki's tracers probably scared the heck out of it. We don't even know if our words even reached it."

"You would know," Rika hmphed.

"I don't," Takato smiled. "But thanks for believing in me?"

"You have the knack for the weird." She bit her lower lip. "Takato, maybe we should rethink this whole relationship thing. I don't know if I even want kids, and that's not fair to you if you do."

"I don't understand. What's this all about?" Takato stopped dead in his tracks, causing Rika to do the same. She blinked to see an unexpectedly intense fire in his eyes. "Rika, I meant what I said that I'd always have your back. That I'd be there for you, even when things get rough or when we argue." He barked a laugh suddenly. "Actually, you'd probably love the arguing part."

"Don't get smart with me, Gogglehead," Rika scowled. "I'm not in the mood for jokes."

"Sorry." Takato held up his hands placatingly, his expression apologetic. "Look, aren't we getting a little bit ahead of things here? We don't have to decide anything yet. So why are you acting like it's something we need to right now?"

Because I don't want…!" she snapped suddenly, only to falter in a last bit effort to reign her temper in. Her teeth ground together tightly. Why was it so hard for her to say? Clenching her fists, she forced the words out. "I don't want you to-to resent being with me. I don't want you to be unhappy."

"I don't want you to be unhappy either." Takato took a step closer to her. Rika didn't retreat. Instead, she kicked at the ground angrily.

"Why are you always like this?" she growled.

"Well, you do love to argue," Takato laughed lightly.

"Don't get cute with me. You know what I mean. Why are you so…so goggleheaded?!"

Takato shrugged. "I don't know. I just know I can't be anything else."

Taking hold of him by the front of his shirt, Rika drew her to him. She brought her head to rest against his chest, and held it there for a second. Then she drew her head back and gave him a light bump with her forehead.

"Takato, I'm scared that I won't love them. The digimon. The baby it's probably going to be partnered with… What if I can't?"

A pall of silence fell between them. Rika blushed, embarrassed but at the same time greatly relieved. It felt she finally got to the root cause of her concerns. Takato reached up and hugged her close to him. She could feel his heartbeat within the darkness folding around her, and she noted the strength he held in his arms. Firm, despite his gentleness.

"I always thought you did pretty well with Calumon," he said softly. "I don't think he would have gone near you if he thought you were bad. And you're never mean to Guilmon or Suzie."

"I tried to load Dinoboy when we first met. Not exactly my best moment."

"Yeah, but you got better." He ran a hand along her back, trying to smooth out her fears. "We can choose our own destiny, right? That's what you've always said. You can choose whatever destiny you want, and I choose to stay by your side. I'll help you with whatever that destiny is, okay? I love you. You don't have to do this alone."

Again, he paused, only this time to let his words sink in. Rika let them, allowing them to do battle with her fears. Destiny. That looked to be the root cause, at least in part. The ability to choose, or be forced down a path against her wishes. She still didn't know if she wanted a baby. She hadn't been an ideal daughter to her mother and she doubted that would translate well to parenthood. She also felt a resentfulness for the idea that any child they might have would have its destiny tied to another by virtue of simply existing, but she felt more at ease about it. Not necessarily better, and she supposed she would always feel that way, but certainly easier to shoulder. Another part of her also didn't like feeling that she needed to depend on Takato for that. Being older now and wiser in some ways compared to what she used to be, she ignored that other part of her. She loved Takato, and knew she wouldn't reject his help because of her pride.

"We can choose our own destiny," she repeated. "That's what you were trying to remind me about right from the start."

"Yeah. Only I took a lot longer getting to it," Takato admitted. "I probably should have led with that."

"It's okay." Rika gave his hands a loving squeeze. "I like that you got there eventually," she said with a soft smile. Her smile faded a little. "You want to have a family with me, huh?"

"I-If you want that," Takato replied quickly. His voice then took on a more serious tone. "I'll still have your back either way. For however long you'll have me."

"Are you proposing to me, Gogglehead?"

Takato felt heat rising in his face. At once, the enormity of his words hit him like a truck. Hit him so hard that it almost scared him. Yet, when he answered, his voice sounded surprisingly calm.

"Yes."

He felt Rika's hands suddenly tighten about his shirt with surprise. Clearly, she hadn't expected that answer. In all honesty, he didn't either, but he found that deep down, he wanted to be with her in more than just a boyfriend and girlfriend. It no longer felt like a question. Just a matter of how she felt. What she wanted.

After one long, agonizing moment, he felt her grip relax.

"You know I really do like to argue," she said. He heard nerves in her voice again; felt the tension in her fingers. She was circling about, giving herself time to collect herself and rally.

"Sometimes my parents like to argue too." He traced his thumbs along her back encouragingly.

"Mine didn't. I…" She didn't finish that last sentence. Instead, she suddenly wrapped her arms about him. Hair from her ponytail tickled his face and he breathed in its scent. For some reason, it made him think of lilacs and peaches. It smelled pleasant. Relaxing even. He ran his hands along her back, and he found himself suddenly aware of a light tremor running through her. Instinctively, he kissed the top of her head. The tremor didn't vanish, but her own fingers now began to appreciatively massage his waist.

"Takato?"

"Yeah?"

"Only you could propose to me like this, you know that?"

Takato gave a light chuckle. "Sorry. I got the timing all wrong, didn't I?"

"Not only that, you don't even have a ring," she hmphed, pretending to scold him. "But that's okay. Rings are stupid, anyway." Drawing back, she fixed Takato with a meaningful look. "You're not going to ask if I'll even say yes?" she asked, her tone playful. He gave her an embarrassed smile.

"Sorry. I guess I kind of got too caught up in everything and dropped it on you without thinking. You don't have to answer now. I mean, I know you have a lot to think about already and…"

"Yes."

"Say wha…?"

"The answer's yes, Takato." Smirking, she gave his sides a light jab. "After we graduate," she added. "And I don't want our parents hearing about it until then. I don't know about your folks, but my mom will drive me nuts if she catches wind of it." Her cheeks coloring, she continued. "And there's still one thing that I need to do before we can even think about getting married."

"What's that?" Takato asked, curious. "Is it something I can help you with?"

Rika tossed a look over his shoulder at Guilmon. The crimson dinosaur presently sniffed some nearby flowers, his ears twitching happily. He gave no indication that he heard of Takato's proposal to her or her acceptance, but she knew from experience Guilmon understood tact.

"Yes, but I don't know if it's appropriate for Dinoboy to overhear." She then gave Takato a reproachful look. "I don't care how many of Kazu's porn movies he's 'accidently' watched. It's irresponsible to fill his head up with that stuff. He's barely out of his diapers!"

A confused look crossed Takato's face, only for understanding to dawn a moment later in his eyes.

"Oh. O-Oh!" He looked at her with concern. "A-Are you sure?"

"Of course, I'm sure!" Rika gave his shin a light, irritated kick. "I need to get past me," Rika hastily continued, eager to move the conversation along. Her face now drowned in bright crimson. "You know how I am. How I get. That whole thing we talked about earlier. About kids and family. About that baby digimon we made and everything that led up to it. I guess I'm a little freaked out about it. Whatever destiny we choose together – and it's one we're choosing together." She fixed Takato a hard look, daring him to contradict her. "I don't think I can actually be with you in that way if I can't get over myself first."

With a surprising confidence he didn't know he had he cupped Rika's face with his hands and drew it up so they were looking fully at one another. Crimson and violet gazed into one another, and Rika's hands rose up to his wrists. They were both blushing fiercely now. "Rika, you're one of the strongest people I know. You've overcome so much. I know you'll beat this too. And no matter what, I'll always watch your back."

Rika's hands squeezed about his wrists tightly.

"Look at you," she smirked. "You're not even tripping over your words even though I just said I want to have sex with you and marry you. But you're laying it on kind of thick though, don't you think?"

"I wouldn't be saying it if it weren't true," Takato smiled. "Besides, you like to argue."

Rika cocked an eyebrow, but she understood what he was trying to tell her. Arguing. Fighting. They were practically the same thing, and Rika fought for those things she cared about. She pulled his hands away from her burning face.

"You know," she began, rising on her tiptoes. "It's kind of annoying how well you know me now."

"S-Sorry," Takato replied, his mouth becoming a quirky smile. "I can't really help it. I…"

Rika silenced him with a kiss. They stood like that for a while, and Guilmon watched happily, smelling the storms in their scents take on a new confidence.

"Awww… That's nice," he said soft enough so that the two teens couldn't hear them. Renamon phased into view next to him. Smiling at his observation, she placed a paw atop his head appreciatively.

After several, long moments, Takato and Rika pulled away from one another. Wordlessly, Rika resumed their walk, pulling Takato after her. He stumbled slightly, but quickly fell back into step beside her.

"So, uh…" Takato coughed, blushing madly. "W-When do you…? You know."

"After this business with Henry's stupid classmate, duh. Saving the world comes first and…" She glowered down at the pavement. "…and I don't want any interruptions this time."

Their hands tightened about each other, anxious about what the future would bring them.

###

Panting, Calumon landed atop a tree branch overlooking a house. His ear-wings, exhausted from their long, speedy flight, retracted back into his head.

"Wow," he rasped. "She really is good at playing tag." Indeed, following Yua pushed him to his utmost limits. How he managed to keep up with her, he didn't know, but he chalked it up to his usual level of awesomeness. Yua, it seemed, had her own brand of talent, as she raced through the city like a digimon (human? Calumon remained uncertain) possessed. Looking up, he tracked Yua's landing in front of the house. The property looked much like many houses he had seen. Two stories with a small front and back yard. It would have fit comfortably in Rika's home and still have some room left over. It looked cozy and well-loved with its tree in the front and an old swing hanging off one of its branches. Yua looked very much at home here, and watching her race up the front walk, she looked afraid for its safety. Her blue eyes swung about, as if searching for hidden enemies. Calumon wanted to tell her she had nothing to worry about, but he found himself too exhausted to speak up.

I'll just rest a bit first, he thought, collapsing against the bark of the tree.

###

Yua burst into the house; her blue eyes frantic.

"Mom! Dad!" she called out, hastily kicking off her shoes.

"Yua? Is that you?" came a voice from deep inside the house. Yua followed its source until she came across a dark-haired woman wearing an olive-green dress over a white shirt with flared short sleeves. Immediately upon seeing her, Yua flung herself at the woman and wrapped her arms about her in a powerful hug. The woman's eyebrows rose up with concern at this unexpected act.

"Are you alright?" she asked. "Yua, you've been crying. What's the matter?"

Yua didn't respond. Instead, she buried her face into the woman's shoulder and hugged her even more tightly. The woman, sensing she needed to comfort her, ran a hand against her back and began to make gentle, soothing sounds in the hopes of coaxing out an answer. Yuaa squeezed her eyes shut. Memories came to her. A crimson flood advancing, followed by a swarm of ghostly figures – sheets armed with scythes.

"Renamon! Watch out!"

"Yua…!" The woman grunted in discomfort now. Seeing she was using too much strength Yua quickly relaxed her grip.

"Sorry, Mom," she said and drew back. "S-Some things happened today and I started remembering some bad things. I-I got to worrying about you and Dad a-and…" She quickly looked around. "Where is Dad?"

"Still at work," her mother replied. Reaching up, she brushed aside Yua's bangs. "What happened?"

Yua trembled beneath her mother's touch, not answering right away. The woman waited, allowing her the time to collect herself.

"I-I got mad at friends of Henry. I punched one of them."

"Oh." Her mother's eyebrows rose in surprise, followed swiftly by alarm. "Are they…?"

"They're fine. They're digimon. But I-I don't think they'll like me after that. I know I wouldn't if I were them. I…" She covered her face with her hands. "I was so stupid! I can't believe I let myself get so mad!"

"What did they do?"

"They…" Yua hesitated. Her blue eyes glanced up at her mother's concerned gaze. "They were concerned about Henry. They thought I might be a threat to him for some reason. Afraid I wasn't what I said I was."

Her mother's eyes held a deeply concerned look at that. "They didn't believe you." Not a question. A statement.

"No." Yua shook her head. "They just pretended to at first." Her shoulders sagged. "Probably because I was getting mad at them. I can't blame them. Henry's a Tamer. I'm sure he's dealt with all kinds of creeps before. I should apologize."

"Hmmm…" Her mother pressed her lips together tightly. 'Maybe you should stop attending that cram school," she suggested. At that, Yua bristled.

"I can't!" she protested. "I've got to learn how to program!"

"Well, maybe we can try another school instead. I don't think it's a good idea to be in trouble with Henry's friends. Aren't-Aren't they part of that government agency that was on the news? The one involved with digimon?"

"Hypnos," Yua said, remembering the interviews from all those years ago, back when the D-Reaper attacked the planet. People were desperate for answers and were very unhappy when they got them.

"Maybe if I just talk to Henry and apologize. Maybe explain things…"

"Let's just wait for your father to come home," her mother suggested. Her eyes shone with worry and alarm. "Why don't you get cleaned up? I'll fix you something to eat. I'm sure you're hungry."

At the mention of food, Yua's stomach growled loudly. She blushed in embarrassment.

"T-Thanks," she murmured. Smiling, her mother gave her cheek a gentle pat before leaving. Yua watched her go. Then, with nothing more to be done, she climbed the stairs to her bedroom. She took the steps slowly, savoring each one and their familiarity. Upon reaching the top, she headed toward her room and, without further ado, pushed open the door.

Her room greeted her as a model of emasculate cleanliness, marred only by the single manga volume she left lying on her bed. She hung her schoolbag on the end of her chair and then turned to face her mirror. It was full-body in length, giving her a complete and unobstructed view of herself from head to toe. She stared at her reflection, and her blue eyes stared back. Memory stirred and for half an instant, she saw herself when she had been younger, gazing up at something towering over her. And in her mirror standing behind, the reflection of a gold-furred fox digimon with purple armguards stood in front of her, gazing down at her.

Renamon…

"She's gone," she told herself and looked away. The thought felt strangely lacking in concrete reality, but she brushed it aside. She went over to her desk and opened up a drawer. A multitude of notebooks lay crammed within, with many in various states of wear. She drew out the newest one. Cracking it open, she laid it out and read over its most recent entry.

A girl was waiting for Henry today. Something about her felt off, so I followed her just in case. She turned out to be a digimon! A Renamon like mine! And she could transform like she could! I don't know why she's pretending to be human. I…

…

It still hurts thinking about what happened to her.

The diary entry ended rather abruptly. She remembered weeping a little last night, and the emotion still felt as strong as it did then. She felt the weight of the drawer above the one containing her diaries. The one containing her purple and yellow-trimmed digivice. She would never forget the day she got it. How she found herself suddenly in this room with Yua gaping up at her, awestruck. How…

I, she corrected herself. I looked up at her. It felt like such a magical moment.

Magical moment. Those words struck a chord in her, and anxiously she dug up an older diary from five years ago. Its date range faded a little, but she would correct that shortly. For now, she flipped it open, and found the entries for September, shortly after the giant pig digimon rampaged through Shinjuku.

I've got a digimon! I know I'm sounding like a broken record talking about this, but I can't stop thinking about how crazy it is! She appeared right in front of me along with a weird device thing! I think my cousin's card game called it a digivice, but they don't look like it. Oh well. Mine's better looking and she's so amazing! Mom and Dad are worried though. I probably would be too in their shoes, but I don't think she's going to tear up Shinjuku anytime soon. She just wants a friend. She doesn't like talking about the digital world. I get the feeling something bad is going on there. I wonder if that means we'll have to do something about it. Like in the anime. That's what the digital world does, doesn't it? Chooses people to help save it? I heard on the news that some kids have been seen with the digimon that fought that pigmon and that weird horse guy. I wonder if they're…uh, what did my cousin call them? Tamers? Digidestined? Or am I mixing things up with the anime? Ah, who cares? Well, maybe those other kids do. I wonder if I should find them.

Yua passed a hand over her eyes. The magical moment she wanted to relive didn't come. Instead, she was only reminded that they never did find the Tamers, and after that, the D-Reaper came. Her hand ran over the scar on her head, hidden beneath her black hair. She grimaced, another memory floating to the fore.

She was looking down at herself, watching her body dissolve, her empty, dead eyes staring skyward. She could hear Renamon crying out from her throat in a long, anguished scream.

The gentle tapping on her window brought her out of her memories. Wiping at her eyes, she turned to find one of the two digimon from earlier waving at her with its tiny paw.

"Hi!" it chirped happily.

"W-Wha…?" Yua sniffed. Calumon tilted his head, seeing her tears.

"Ohhh… You look so sad. What's wrong?"

"What-What are you doing here?" Yua asked, getting up. She went over to the window and, after a moment of hesitation, lifted open the window. She cocked her head to one side, and her expression immediately emptied of emotion. "Are you alright?" she asked. "I apologize for my behavior earlier. I have no idea what came over me."

Calumon gazed at her curiously, rather surprised by the sudden change in behavior.

"Oh, you don't have to apologize," he said, opting to smile instead. "I hurt your feelings. I should be the one saying I'm sorry."

Yua's blue eyes traced along Calumon's curiously.

"Still, it doesn't make what I did right. I shouldn't have responded like that." Yua bowed to Calumon. "I apologize."

"No, I'm the one that's sorry." Calumon laughed. "All this apologizing is going to make us go around in circles. Can't we just play a game instead?"

"A…game?" Yua cocked an eyebrow.

"Sure!" Calumon hopped past Yua and into her room. "I bet you have lots of ways to have fun here! I saw a swing downstairs. Maybe we should play on that."

Yua shook her head. This digimon was a strange one, but that didn't necessarily mean it was bad.

I overreacted earlier, she thought. And in so doing, I attempted to harm one of Henry's friends. I don't deserve…

"There you go. You have that sad look again. What's the matter, huh?"

Yua turned away from his large, emerald eyes. "You-You don't know much about personal space, do you?"

"Is that a special space you have just for yourself?" Calumon tapped a paw against his chin. "Where is it?"

Yua sighed. This digimon…

"You should go," she said. "Tell your friends that I am sorry for my poor behavior. It won't happen again." A shiver ran along her just then. She clutched one arm tightly in her grasp. A spark played along her hand and she squeezed harder until she felt her bones creak. "Please. Go."

"Ohhh…" Calumon's ears wilted. "Can I come back?"

Yua didn't answer, but relaxed her grip. Sensing she wasn't about to talk anytime soon, Calumon hopped over to her window. He tossed a look over his shoulder. He didn't like the feeling he got from her. It reminded him too much of Jeri when the D-Reaper held her captive.

Recalling that time, Calumon found himself hesitating. Although Yua wasn't being held captive by the D-Reaper, did he dare leave her alone like this? He didn't like seeing people sad and couldn't help but try to brighten things up whenever he saw them. The tavern Jeri worked and lived at tended to see sad people at times, trying to drown their sorrows in drink. Too often, they made him think they were just drowning themselves.

Making a decision, he reentered the room and set himself down upon the bed. Yua glanced up at him, confused by his continued presence. Then, she sighed, seeing he meant to root himself here until she either made him leave by force or until he decided to leave on his own.

"Just…be quiet, okay?"

"Yay!" Calumon squealed.

"Especially when my parents come around," Yua added. "Pretend to be a stuffed animal or something. You can do that, right?"

Calumon looked over at Yua's bed. "You don't have any stuffed toys though."

Yua flinched noticeably. Angrily, she dug into the drawer of diaries and, after briefly looking through the dates, yanked one out. She hurriedly fanned through it and stopped upon an entry.

"I used to," she said, relaxing visibly. "Mom'll be happy if she sees I have one again."

"Really?" Calumon asked, and then a smile bloomed across his face. "Then we should make her happy, huh?"

Yua's lips curved gently, plainly agreeing with the little digimon.

"Yeah," she nodded. "We should."

Taking a seat at her desk, she resumed reading the diary entry. Yua's writing was messy, but legible. Her diaries were the only time she allowed herself that kind of freedom, she remembered, as her writing homework always appeared prim and proper.

Dad got me a fluffy cat doll today. I told him I was getting too old for that sort of thing, but he knows me better than that. It's so soft and squishy I can't help but love it! Ahhh! Mei's going to tease me as soon as she sees it! Whatever. I don't care. It's cute and it came from Dad. She's just jealous that her dad never brings her anything.

When was the last time Dad did that? Yua wondered half distractedly. She hadn't thought about that before. Her smile slipped when a memory of a more recent vintage stirred. One where she stood outside her parents' bedroom door on the way to the bathroom and overheard them talking. Something about the conversation caught her sensitive ears and she stopped to listen.

"We need to talk to her. She can't go on like this." Her father's voice had been thick and heavy, as if struggling to hold something back.

"Does-Does it have to be now?" came the response from her mother, no less strained. "She's hurting too, you know. She still misses her so much. This is all she has. We're all she has. She's so alone now."

"I…" Her father's voice cracked a little, and the conversation ended then.

Yua found her hands curling into tight fists when a gentle knock came to her door. Turning, she saw her mother enter, a plate of food in one hand and a drink in the other. Yua forced her hands to relax and she put on a bright smile.

"Here you go," she greeted, setting plate and glass down onto Yua's desk.

"Thank you," Yua accepted them gratefully, a slight bow to her head as she did so. Her mother returned it, briefly before spotting the journal entry.

"I remember that," she said softly, and her expression fell. Upon seeing it, Yua felt her heart plunge into her stomach.

"Sorry," she said, and closed the diary. "Bad memories, huh?"

"I…" The woman shook her head and then forced on a smile. "No. Good ones." She touched Yua's hair. "Good ones," she repeated. "Don't ever think otherwise, Yua." She glanced up and spied Calumon laying prostrate on the bed. "Is that a new toy?" she asked. "I haven't seen you with one for quite a while."

"Er, yeah. I'm-I'm holding onto it for a friend. I…" Yua trailed off uncertainly, not sure what to say. I'm not too old hung on her lips, but for some reason the words refused to leave her mouth. "When is Dad coming home? Is he going to be busy again tonight?"

"He said he'll try to come home at a decent hour. Work's so busy for him lately. But he's going to try."

"Okay," Yua nodded, her hand caressing her diary gently.

###

Riley entered Yamaki's office, a folder of documents tucked her arm. Upon seeing her, he closed his laptop.

"I've got the file on the girl you requested," she said, handing the folder off to him.

"Your assessment?" Yamaki's lighter clinked upon flipping the folder open to the first page. On it lay a photo of the girl and her name in full, Yua Aikawa.

"She's got no record of anything like what Impmon described at any point in her history. No mention of a digimon, partner or otherwise. Her physicals check out and are up to date. We've even got her blood type. AB." Riley furrowed her brow uncertainly. "Can digimon even duplicate blood type?"

"If there's anything I've learned about digimon, it's that the amount we know is dwarfed by the amount we don't." He flicked his lighter closed. "Impmon said she took on a younger form. One that had a head injury."

"Her medical report mentioned one from a few years ago, around the time of the D-Reaper invasion. Do you think she got it by copying her when the real Yua was…hurt?" Riley hesitated, uncertain and not fully willing to outright say the girl was dead. Yamaki had informed her on the details of Impmon's report, but they lacked so much information.

"I won't speculate about that, but a head injury would make a good cover for maintaining an illusion over a long period of time. Personality differences. Knowledge gaps. Alternate interests." Another clink, and the lighter's lid lifted. "Impmon said she insists she's not just Yua, but also human. What I don't understand is why."

"Could it be some kind of trauma response?" Riley asked. "We've seen what happened to Jeri when her partner died, and the Takato, Rika, and Henry showed they can feel their partners' pain at times. What happens when it's the reverse?"

"We learn something new." His eyes slid down to Yua's listed address and listed information about her parents and their workplaces. The lid snapped closed with a loud click. He closed the folder and then got to his feet. "It's time for a more global response," he said. "I'm going to meet with her parents."

"Sir?" Riley blinked. "Is-Is that wise?"

"I want to know what kind of person – or digimon – we're dealing with. There's no one better to understand her. Or to know about her situation."

"But if they don't know… What if the shock of learning that their daughter is-is… What if it's too much for them to bear?"

Yamaki adjusted his sunglasses.

"Let's see what they know first. We can proceed from there once we know more."

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