Better the Devil You Know

Chapter 18: New Found Respect

It was mid-afternoon and the Sun shone brightly in the clear sky over Odaiba Park, giving the kids the perfect weather for their school summer break. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves of the trees and cooled the air enough to make the hot weather pleasurable. It was turning into a perfect summer for those who could enjoy it. However, the moods of three teenagers and their Digimon partners were in stark contrast to the brilliant weather and the mood of the other people in the park.

Ken, Yolei, Cody and their Digimon had headed to the park after they left Izzy's apartment. None of them had wanted to head for home after the events that had just taken place. The group hadn't said a word after they left their friends and agreed to go to the park. It remained that way even after they all took a seat in the shade under a large oak tree. Ken and Yolei had their arms around each other as the group sat in a circle, thinking about the sudden outburst of emotion that TK had just had.

"Did you know about TK loosing Patamon to Devimon?" Yolei finally broke the extremely long and uncomfortable silence as she gazed across the circle at Cody.

"Yeah," Cody replied sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck. "I knew it hurt him and that was why I never said anything to anyone else, but I never knew it hurt him that much."

"When did you find out?" Hawkmon inquired, wanting to know how long the youngest Digidestined was kept in the dark about his DNA digivolution partner's past.

Cody sighed and ran the fingers of his right hand through his black hair. "I found out when Matt told me while we were battling Blackwargreymon and neither Matt nor TK gave me any major details about the fight. They both just said that Angemon had to use up all of his energy to beat Devimon. TK was actually so angry with Matt for telling me that he didn't really speak to him for two weeks. I'm just glad none of his anger was ever directed at me."

"I guess it explains so much," Ken sighed as he thought aloud.

"What do you mean?" Yolei asked as she glanced at her boyfriend and waited for an answer.

Ken ran his spare hand through his violet hair as he thought about how to word his reply. "Well, I've being through similar events to TK and, now that I think about it, I can see all the signs that show he's lost someone he cares about in the past. They're all there for us to see but we just never noticed them."

"I know watching someone you care about dying in front of you is something you will never get over," Yolei spoke softly as she tightened her hold of her boyfriend, remembering that he lost Wormmon as well as his older brother, Sam.

"I can see all of TK's mental scars now and I can see just how deep they go," Ken sighed again. "No wonder he's never told any of us and it's no wonder he snapped when Davis called him a coward."

"Yeah," Yolei replied as she started to think over something. "I wonder why TK never said anything to you after you lost Wormmon."

The Saturday evening sunlight radiated through the windows of the Takaishi apartment, illuminating the living area. TK and Kari lay quietly on one of the black and grey sofas in a tight embrace. Gatomon was with Patamon in TK's bedroom, trying to cheer up the rookie Digimon after his human partner's nerve finally cracked under all the pressure put on him by their battles with Neodevimon. The two couples were alone in the apartment after TK's mother was called into work after an emergency situation arose.

Kari lay on her back on the sofa with her right arm tightly wrapped around TK, who was lying on his side. Both his arms were wrapped tightly around Kari and his right leg was draped over her waist. The brunette gently stroked TK's blonde head as he kept his face buried in her right shoulder, which was now soaking wet from his tears.