A Slave To Her Smile
By ArchangelUK

I don't own Digimon, or the words to the song "Wide Awake" by Celtus. However I do own prototype EMP-proof helicopter which I intend to use to transport the Goldeneye to my secret base under a lake in Russia... MWAH HA HA HA HA!!! For England James!

Dedicated to Wolfie, in the words of Hopeful Writer 'because I can'.

It was very very late, or very very early. It depended very very much on your particular point of view. Sleep hadn't been much of a priority, not since the events of thirty-six hours or so ago. TK couldn't sleep, didn't want to sleep, by all rights shouldn't sleep even if he wanted to. For you see young Takeru Takashi was worried and it showed, in his face specifically for it looked battered and old. There were bags under his crystal blue eyes and it was all because of the fear.

Kari...

Softly the Darkness unfolds in silent embrace,
And the strange longing never sleeps,
Inside of my head, for you...

Her name plagued him, stalked his thoughts, invaded his dreams. Oh how he loved her.

Loved. Not 'liked' no, for liked didn't cover even a quarter of the feelings he felt for her - the term was loved.

It had been as much a surprise to him as anyone, for how things like this come about was a mystery. However, there was no sense in hiding away from his feelings, no point in running, but then if that was the case why WAS he running. TK needed to face his emotions, to find the courage enough to do it.

Yet there's something in my nature -
That makes this hard to say.
Every second is a chance that slips away...

The others... they knew.

The other DigiDestined; those who could see past his pretending to his real feelings and even those who could not. They all understood his plight, that was the way it had always felt for TK and his friends - a deep understanding towards each other. They shared every smile of joy and ever tear of frustration, TK had never thought before just how close they all were. They were family, with 'DigiDestined' as their collective surname.

There had been more sorrow than joy though for the courage he needed just would not come.

Now I'm wide awake, and I'm not sleeping, no no.
And this room feels like a cage, driving me crazy,
And I wish I could be there upon your pillow.

He was afraid, so very afraid.

Afraid to lose her, embarrass her, embarrass him, make a mess of things in general, that she didn't feel the same, afraid that she did feel the same. He was afraid of the destiny they shared too, of being a DigiDestined and the risks involved. Izzy and TK both had realised some time ago that the evil and darkness that existed in both worlds could only be pushed back. Evils like the Dark Masters, Devimon, Arukenimon, Myotismon could all be defeated, but it was a war that would forever be continuing. Evil could never be totally vanquished. They could well be called on again in the future and a foe may well inflict damage on them as opposed to their partners.

But then again, it had already happened.

I can recognise the silence
As it hangs endlessly on line
And the words never spoken
Seem so little yet means so much

It had been a busy day, in school and out of it with the seemingly never ending numbers of control spires dotting the Digital landscape. The towers jutting out of the soil and rocks like some dark, evil tree stretching up to grasp the heavens to stab at what lay hidden there with sharp pointed tips. Their destruction brought a sense of satisfaction to all those there, TK especially for they were merely tools of the dark powers that once almost cost him his life. The powers that still lingered on the boundaries of his dreams and awaited him in his nightmares. It was at least a hundred of the vile obelisks, 147 according to Davis, and a fair amount of exertion from everyone before the group considered rest. TK and Kari had gone to get drinks for them and their friends. TK remembered the conversation well.

"Thank goodness that's over." Gatomon said, stretching her arms behind her head and flexing her paws. Patamon looked over at her somewhat put out by her comment.

"Speak for yourself, I was enjoy myself out there today."

"Yes, well you didn't have Veemon leering at you all day." Gatomon said suppressing a growl of annoyance. Her old friend's eyes quadrupled in size and his brow narrowed with fury.

"He WHAT?" Patamon yelled, almost releasing a Boom Bubble attack he was so annoyed.

"Easy little buddy!" TK admonished, noting how close his partner had come to unleashing his attack by accident. "Anyone would think you were getting a might protective of Gatomon."

"TK!" Patamon wailed, glowing a bright crimson.

"Don't worry Patamon." A grinning Kari said. Then leaning close to the orange rookie level Digimon, she whispered in his ear but loudly enough so it was obvious to everyone she was deliberately being indiscreet."I think she'd quite like to be the damsel in distress."

"Kari! You're not helping!"

"Her little white Knightmon." TK laughed, continuing to tease the poor Patamon who was trying to somehow conceal himself under TK's hat to hide his glowing face.

"TK!!!!" He wailed again, sending Kari into a fit of the giggles. Her partner meanwhile, having successfully hide her pink glowing features decided it was time to get some payback.

"Huh, like the pair of you aren't any different!" Gatomon snorted and shot very deliberate looks towards the DigiDestined of Light and Hope. This successfully sent the two preteens a bright beetroot colour and ended that line of conversation.

"I feel kinda sorry for Davis, did you see the look on his face when you said we'd get something for him?"

"Why should he look that way?" Kari asked confused,

"He wanted to spend time with you I suppose, or didn't want me to spend time with you."

"Why?"

"Well... because."

"What are you talking about TK?"

Yet there's something in my nature,
That makes this hard to say.
Every second is a chance that slips away...

"Um, well... Er... hey there's the vending machine!"

A coward, that's what he was. Admittedly the conversation of the previous few minutes had made things difficult, but they had so little time truly alone with each other now a days. They didn't mind the fact their Digimon were with them though, after all weren't they in some way a part of them too? By the time they had returned they discovered Ken had left, Cody was sulking (or as good as) and the Control Spire total had reached 148. TK's next comment was probably one of the most observant he'd ever made.

"We're gone ten minutes and you cause a mutiny!?!"

Davis had hung his head while Kari had contemplated Cody's feelings, before ultimately Davis made one of his usual innocent comments that would have been taken seriously had it not come from him of all people. But the cheery moment was broken in a screech of breaks and the sound of a car skidding to a halt, the faintest smell of burning rubber barely wafting in the light breeze.

That was when it had all gone so very wrong.

Now I'm wide awake, and I'm not sleeping, oh no.
And this room feels like a cage, driving me crazy,
And I wish I could be there upon your pillow.

Arukenimon exited the car with Mummymon and proceeded to remove another 100 Control Spires, but they weren't being destroyed merely reformatted. Formatted into one of the most deadly adversaries they had ever faced. TK and Kari were way ahead of the others, riding as they were Pegasusmon and Nefertimon, they were the first to taste this monster's power when they were sent crashing to hard ground below.

The monster had a name. It was BlackWarGreymon.

Yet there's something in my nature,
That makes this hard to say.
Every second is a chance that slips away.

The monster said little, by the time TK and Kari had regained consciousness Ken had returned and Paildramon was standing where Stingmon and ExVeemon once was and yet the most powerful - or at least most available - weapon was not enough. The mega stood unscathed when all around was in tatters, it's eyes glowed a terrifying shade of yellow. Kari cried out a warning, TK tried to get away or get infront of her but it was far too late unconsciousness claimed them again with two simple words.

"TERRA DESTROYER!"

Now I'm wide awake, and I'm not sleeping, no.
And this room feels like a cage, driving me crazy...

TK opened his eyes abruptly stopping his little flashback, he glanced down at his knee. The one he had twisted in the fall and had been hobbling around on for the last day and a half, the injury sustained in the crash that put him out of the interschool basketball tournament. That was not his only injury of course, neither was he the only one injured as everyone had deep bruises but TK and Kari were the worst for they were the closest of all. Patamon and Gatomon had recovered well, they were Digimon after all but the cat had spent a lot of the time since as Salamon and even Patamon deemed it necessary to become Tokomon at one stage. Kari had received grazes to her knees and a sprained wrist. Davis had been blown back into boulder and had it not been for his hard head would have suffered a concussion to go with his set of bruises. Yolei and Ken who were airborne at the time had only one large graze apiece, while Cody being small had escaped most of the shockwave a large bump on his forehead.

The barer of the Crest of Hope hobbled over to his wardrobe which held a mirror on the inside of one of the doors and he examined the large gash above his eyebrow. He winced as he touched it, then his mind went back to Kari. He had come so close that day, so very close to losing her forever. Losing her before he could tell her he loved her. He could of course try to give her up, but it would be pointless no matter what happened TK would do anything for her. He was a slave to her smile.

He sighed and looked at the clock on the wall, the red digital display read 12:05 - five minutes past midnight. Patamon was well asleep on a pile of clothes that TK had meant to put in the laundry basket, he'd have to do it tomorrow now but no matter. He should get to sleep as well, no matter what waited tomorrow or around the next corner he would be with her every step of the way. It was his vow, his promise to himself, to her and to his friends.

Now I'm wide awake, I'm not sleeping, oh no.
And this room feels like a cage, driving me crazy...

A faint beep sounded from the D-Terminal on his desk, it was far too early to be getting e-mail... unless. TK flipped open the top, immediately recognising the address he allowed himself the smallest wry smile - she couldn't sleep. The smile broadened at the thought she probably knew he couldn't sleep either, they knew each other so well they could sense it almost. That's why she sent the e-mail. TK sat down in his chair and decided to find out what he could do for her today.

And I wish I could be there upon your pillow...

---

Thanks for reading, reviews very gratefully received.

ArchangelUK 0:-)
http://www.geocities.com/happy_hylian