"Hello, you've reached the Kido residence. Please leave a message and we'll call you back."
"Joe, I know you're busy these days, but it's TK. Please pick up."
Almost immediately, he did. Good ol' Joe. "What do you need, kiddo?"
"I have to need something to call my friend?" TK joked.
"Today you do; I'm bone tired." He sounded like he was, too. TK hoped he wasn't intruding too badly.
"Well, I do sort of need something…"
"Knew it! But you've come to the right place, I guess. Figuratively speaking, anyway, since you're there and I'm here… What's the emergency?"
"No emergency, really, just… Kind of an annoyance. Not a very serious one, but it could get that way, I think."
"Oh?"
"You hear about how Davis is trying to convince us all to accept Ken into the fold?"
"I did," Joe answered thoughtfully. "I think Tai said something like that."
"Huh. Kari must've told him. Anyway, we're all on board now."
"Except you?" Joe asked sharply. "If you have any doubts, kid, speak up. I'm sure they'll trust your judgment…"
"No, no, I'm in. Even if he was dumb enough to try to play with Devimon and the powers of darkness, I'm over that. A lot of my resentment evaporated along with Wormmon. I was kind of shaky about it at first, but he saved Cody, you know." TK massaged his forehead briefly. "And he came to help us again today. He seems genuinely sorry for what he's done, but… unlike Davis, I think he needs to come to us on his own."
"Is that the problem? I don't know," Joe answered. "If Ken's anything like your brother, he needs a good punch in the face before he'll realize that he's welcome."
"Well, that's not the problem I was talking about. But you do have a point…"
"Are you ever going to tell me why you called, then?" Joe sounded amused, but exhausted. "Despite evidence to the contrary, I do need sleep."
"I'm sorry." TK smiled to himself. "You were right, one of us isn't on the 'Hurray, Ken!' bandwagon. Only it's not me, it's Cody."
"Cody? Really? I thought he was into fairness and all that…"
"You really think it's fair to pat Ken on back and tell him 'you did some really bad stuff, but that's okay, kid, we understand?'"
"Point taken. But you can still argue that benefit of the doubt and second chances are only fair…"
"You can also argue that nothing in life is fair, so why bother?"
"That's my boy."
"Very funny." TK switched the phone to his other hand and sighed. "But I really don't want to do that to Cody. It'd break the kid's heart."
"Wasn't his dad a cop?" Joe asked. It sounded like he was trying to recall what Izzy, who had spent much more time with Cody, had told him.
"A cop who took a bullet for a politician."
"Ouch. Now I feel guilty for how I used to resent my dad."
"Tell me about it. I mean, yeah, I don't get to see my dad nearly as much as I'd like, but… at least I get to see him at all."
"At least he's alive."
"Yeah."
Joe sighed. "So, just to recap: you guys are all willing bring Ken in, except Cody, and you think that's going to cause some friction."
"In a word—yes."
"Sounds like you guys are going to have some fun. I just hope it's not as much fun as we had with Tai and Matt."
"Cody's got a pretty cool head, for the most part. And Ken wouldn't dare. He knows we'd beat him six ways from Sunday if he tried."
"So what are you calling me for?" Joe asked skeptically. "Just as a head's up, in case I come with you some time?"
TK hesitated. No more beating around the bush now… "Actually, I was wondering if you'd help us out. If you'd talk to Cody, I mean."
"Me?" Joe sounded mildly surprised, but only mildly. TK guessed he saw the logic in the idea and just needed a confirmation.
"Yeah. You've got some experience with the whole 'love thy enemy' thing. Didn't you help Ogremon?"
"Under duress."
"What kind of duress?" As if TK didn't know.
"You know Mimi. You can't say no to her, and even when you do, it's not like she listens, anyway."
"Speaking of, she's totally with Davis about Ken."
"Not surprising. She called me after Yolei got the Digi-Egg of Sincerity. At five in the morning, mind you. Mostly to brag on Yolei, but she made a point of teasing me about Digitamamon and assuring me that if I ever saw him again, I shouldn't worry."
"Heh… did she also mention…?"
"Yeah, she did. I saved you life, kiddo, and you can't even be bothered to remember. That really hurts, you know…"
Joe was only pretending, TK knew, but he apologized anyway. Joe told him to forget it, but added that he'd 'better remember the time I saved you from drowning, though, or I'll really be mad.' Another joke.
"Anyway, like I said, TK. I'm really not surprised that Mimi is with Davis on this one. You ever notice that they're a lot alike? Both very innocent and trusting. I mean Mimi hated Ogremon as much as any of us. Maybe more, you remember how attached she was to Leomon, after he brought everyone to help build the raft?"
"Same with Davis and the Emperor."
"I wonder what the others think of you all fraternizing with the enemy?"
"We're hardly fraternizing… though I bet Yolei wouldn't mind." Joe laughed briefly. "But I think Izzy is dealing, too. Not as gung-ho as Mimi, but hey."
"Goody for him. Ken never took a shot at Tentomon, though. Or Palmon, for that matter." TK figured he knew where this was going. "But he captured Gabumon, beat Gomamon, had a flunky capture and beat Biyomon, and enslaved Agumon."
"I take it you're not jumping in with us anytime soon."
"Quite the contrary. I'm in. This is one time where I'll be pretty easygoing."
"Probably the only time," TK kidded.
"Probably," Joe agreed. "But then… Come on. Would Gomamon want me to avenge him by making some messed up kid—and you don't go around conquering and killing without being really freaking messed up, mark my words—even more messed up? Nah. Not his style. Besides, it's worked for us before."
"You think Ken just had a Black Gear?" TK smiled. Good ol' Joe.
"Anything's possible," Joe said darkly. "You did say Devimon was involved."
"Talk about anything being possible," TK agreed. "So… you'll talk to Cody?"
Joe sighed again. "If you really think I ought to, of course I will. Izzy might be a better bet, though. I think I've spoken to Cody maybe three times, two of which were battle situations."
"Maybe, but he really admires you," TK answered. "Asks me about you sometimes. He really liked the story about how Ikkakumon first became Zudomon," the eleven year old added with a grin, knowing that Joe was about to slap himself in the forehead and groan, despite his earlier joke.
And his friend didn't disappoint. Old Reliable, indeed. "I hope you told him I'm not perfect. I know how you tell stories, kiddo. Lots of embellishment, very engaging…"
"Hey, my mom writes for a living. What do you expect?"
Joe answered dryly, "Absolutely nothing." He groaned again, his exhaustion reasserting itself. "I really got the impression before that Cody sees things in total black and white. His grandfather tells him something, for example, and it is Truth, accept no substitutions, addendums, simplifications or embellishments."
"That's our Cody to a T."
"Going to be something of a challenge, then." TK thought Joe sounded even more tired now.
"Nothing you can't handle."
"I hope you're not taking bets," was the retort. But Joe's voice softened a little, adding, "What's his schedule like tomorrow? Mine's pretty empty, except my brothers are visiting."
TK hadn't known that, and wasn't about to separate someone from his big brothers. Or deprive Joe of his scarce free time. "It doesn't have to be tomorrow."
"Yeah it does," Joe told him. "Otherwise I will a) lose my nerve, b) never have the time again or c) all of the above."
TK laughed a little. "I know you'll pull through for us. You always do."
"Like I said, don't take bets…"
As usual, TK gently dismissed Joe's pessimism. Joe wasn't quite as amused as before, but TK diffused most of his sarcasm by reminding Joe that Cody would probably finish his kendo lesson around three.
"So just meet him there, and take him some place quiet…"
"Beach?" Joe wondered. "I feel a little more eloquent while I hear the waves crashing." Gomamon's influence, no doubt. "Or is that too much of a sore spot?"
"I think he's okay, I think Submarimon set him straight. Besides, like I said, he really liked the story of how you ever-so-heroically saved me from drowning under Rainbow Bridge, at such profound risk to your..."
"Stop that."
"It'll be fine. Really. But I'm gonna let you go, all right? Let you get some sleep, so you're all prepared and reliable and stuff."
"Ha, ha. I'll talk to your tomorrow or something. Let you know how long Ken has to hide before Cody comes after him and all."
TK rolled his eyes, trying not to laugh. "Goodnight, Joe."
"Goodnight."