Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ Fated ❯ Missing...? ( Chapter 9 )

Fated: Part Nine

Missing...?

Saturdays.... Most kids played all day on Saturdays; as they put it, they needed to 'have a little fun.' After all, school had tied them down all week! They had to relax... unwind. You know the drill. It made them feel so much happier... so free and lucky.

Rika, on the other hand, didn't claim herself to be one of the 'lucky' ones. It was quite the opposite, really.... In fact, after the night before... she wasn't sure if she'd ever be able to become one.... Well, sure-- it had gone rather smoothly. The talk, I mean. All three of them had sat down and discussed the issue; Rika learned that her suspicions were true.... Her mother was pregnant.

Yeah, yeah.... She let a few tears fall; her mom and grandma were the ones that started the bawling, though! She wasn't the one who cried and flung herself into her guardians' arms for comfort! She... she'd actually gotten most of her comfort from a certain goggle-head earlier that day.... Of course... weakness was appearing within her.... She was falling into the pit of emotions, but... it felt good, ya know? Like it was something she just had to let out! Perhaps Goggle-head was the one to thank for that.

Why wasn't she lucky, though? Well... since her mother had absolutely NO clue who the father was... they had no extra means of support. Okay-- yes. Her mother made enough money, but... she'd have to take a leave from modeling for a while. She'd go back once the baby was born, but until then... they'd need another source of money. To put it simply... Rika was going to have to find a part-time job; her grandma offered to find one as well. To the young redhead... it didn't really matter....

It was having to realize what her mother had done that hurt....

"Rika...?" Mrs. Nonaka's voice sounded slightly shaky and tired... and yet, through all that, there was strength.... Rika knew that her mother was trying and fighting to keep her cool. She smiled. Her mother did something very stupid... but it was her pride and love that kept her going. Her mom was going to make it through all of the pain....

"Coming!" she yelped, giving her hair one final swipe with a brush. Good enough. With her hair still down... she sprinted from the room.

No... they were going to make it.... Together.

~*~

"Is... everything all right, Henry...?"

Huh...? Henry turned toward the voice halfheartedly; he was still into the game, though. Really now! Kenta had just set down a Gekomon! A Gekomon, for Christ's sake! With a few modify cards and a good Digimon, he'd be able to take him down! No sweat! It'd just be another win on his list of many-- not that he was bragging, or anything. But... it didn't matter as much to him as it usually did.... It wasn't the same. His mind was still drawn toward the whereabouts of his father.... How long had he been gone now...? Too long-- that's all that mattered to him.

Way, way, WAY too long....

"Nothing, Jeri."

As he turned back around... Jeri let an exhausted sigh out. Oh yeah. Henry definitely had something torturing his mind.... She could see it in his eyes-- they were so... pain-filled. The question was... what? What was making him seem so distant...? Usually she could see right past the masks of other people... but for some reason, she couldn't get past his....

Oh! That was it! She couldn't take it anymore-- she had to know! She just had to! He was her friend, right? One that... one that she cared for more and more each day.... She whispered, "Can I talk to you... for a minute?"

"Hold on a sec-- I've almost won!" The blue haired boy grinned mischievously as Kenta turned blue. Oh-- what joy! He drew another card. All right! This would ensure his victory! Jeri, as much as he liked her, could wait... right?

Right?

Jeri felt her blood rise to her face. He was being SO stubborn! Stupid, idiotic boys! Why did they get so wrapped up in that game? It wasn't that important! It wasn't even that good.... "Please," she urged; she gently placed a hand on his shoulder. He had all day to play! Well, actually... until noon (he had to babysit his little sister), but still! It was only ten!

When he went to look at her, hoping to explain that he had just one more turn to go... he instantly decided against it. How could he say no...? She... had such a pleading, worried look that often appeared on Susie's face; that look usually let the little brat get away with anything.... With a small groan, he flopped his cards face down on the grass. "I'll...," he muttered, "be back." He quickly eyed both jokers a fair warning. No one was to touch his cards... although he wasn't sure if they could be trusted.

Once the two had walked far enough (so that Kenta and Kazu couldn't eavesdrop), the young girl leaned up against the closest tree. Yeah... she hated barging in on other people's lives, but Henry's awayness was scaring her. I mean-- he'd just zone out in the middle of a conversation! What would make him do that? "What... is wrong...?" She then added: "Truthfully."

"No--" Wait.... Wasn't there a saying somewhere that said that it was better to tell someone about your problems...? Yeah... something like that. Perhaps... he should-- even if it wasn't that big of a deal.... Besides... he abhorred lying to Jeri. Stated he:

"My dad...."

Well, now. He actually-- what...?! His... dad? Then... his parents-- were they fighting...? Oh... stupid, stupid, stupid! Why did she have to get so curious?! She'd... done something wrong, hadn't she? Oh... sometimes questions were best left unanswered.... "I... I'm sorry...."

Henry arched an eyebrow. What the heck...? Why in the world was she apologizing?! "Why? My parents aren't having any problems-- they never seem to...." He suddenly looked up to the sky and exhaled weakly. This... was going to be harder to say than he thought.... Still-- he had to say it... no ifs, ands or buts about it. "It's just... well, my dad's been gone-- missing-- for a while now.... Probably right around the time you and I became acquainted. None of us know where he went... not even my mom. I... I think she's scared that he left her, although I doubt that he would ever do that.

"I guess... I guess I'm just worried... that's all."

My... that was awful! If she had only known.... "Are you sure... you're okay?" she asked, stepping over to him. She'd have to admit to it.... There was no use in denying, anyway. She really, really liked Henry; it hurt her to seem him like this....

Gee... was he okay? Did he feel okay with all that was going on? Did he...? The boy glanced over to her... and smiled. "No...," he murmured.

Man... he looked so sad now. Jeri felt a giggle bubble up for some reason.... Now was not the time to be laughing at him! Now was the time to be a friend! "Need a hug...?" When he nodded, tears rimming the corners of his eyes, she walked up and wrapped her arms around his waist. He didn't need to be scared.... It was going to be just fine-- she'd be there for him.... His grip on her tightened while he cried lightly. Yeah... she knew that it was nerve-racking... things like that always were....

"Hey-- you two! What's goin' on over there?!"

"Yeah! We still have to finish our match!"

"What do you mean?! You peeked at his cards!"

"Really? Well, at least I didn't change his hand around!"

~*~

It was getting late.... Rika shot a glance toward her wristwatch. Seven-- already? Geeze... time flies when you spend some of it with your family! But now... now she planned on spending some with her friend.

Her BEST friend.

She was shocked that he hadn't come over to check on her today.... I mean-- they hadn't been at the doctor's office for too long! He wouldn't just come, see that she wasn't home and leave... would he? Wouldn't he sit there and wait for her to return...? Then why hadn't he come to see her...?

Oh well... she'd find out when she got to his home.

Her day hadn't been that bad.... The doctor had been able to tell them that Mrs. Nonaka was only about a month into the pregnancy; they still had a while before the baby would come.... Rika was told that they would be needing a LOT of food around the house soon. Confused, the child had just nodded her head in agreement while her grandmother laughed. "Rumiko didn't go on an eating spree with Rika until about six months!" she cracked; this, I must say, just dumbfounded the redhead even more....

They had gone shopping as well.... Yes-- the dreaded word that sent shivers down Rika's spine. It wasn't as bad as she thought it would be... but it was still pretty bad.... Her mother bought her a couple new shirts.... Let me tell you something-- they were bright AND cheery! They didn't even have her infamous broken heart symbol on them! Oh well... more clothes to sit in her drawer. At least she was able to talk her mother into a white sweater with blue sleeves; in had a small broken heart imprint on the left corner. Afterwards, they had gone out to eat.

And that's pretty much were we come in. Once they had gotten home, she left for Goggle-boy's house. With a sigh, she opened the door and walked in.

Mrs. Matsuki took her eyes off the dough to see Takato's friend walk into the store. It was that one girl.... What... was she doing here? "Hey...," she called, letting the uncooked bread slump over. She instantly walked out into the main room and up to Rika.

Oh... his mom. She didn't know her much, but she seemed like a nice lady. A little on the weird side, but nothing like that bothered her.... "Where's Goggle-head?"

"What? He left for your house a while ago!" Why wasn't Takato with her? Weren't... weren't they friends? She had just been at their house the other day, crying and needing a hug or two! And didn't her son tell her that he would 'be at Rika's' if she needed him...? Then where was he?!

What... did she say? He was supposed to be at.... "My house...?" she finished her thoughts without realizing it. "But... I haven't seen him since yesterday...." Oh... my God! What if something bad happened?! "No... no-- it can't be...." With a slight yelp, the redhead flew up the stairs to the only other room she'd been in.

She entered with a chk! of the door; it looked the same as last night.... The only difference was... that Goggle-head wasn't there! "Oh... my...," she rasped. Rika fell onto her friend's bed with a sob. He... he was missing! It wasn't like he'd disappear on purpose or anything, either! So....

Where was he?!

~*~

What... was going on around here nowadays...? So many strange things were happening. The disappearance of his father (which his mother still never told him about) being one of them. Just... what was going on?!

"H-Henwy?"

Henry turned to see his little sister Susie standing in the doorway; she gripped her Lopmon doll by the ears. She... what was wrong with her...? "Yeah, Susie?"

Something... was scaring her.... Something bad-- very bad-- was gonna happen.... It was scary.... "I miss Daddy...," she muttered, walking over to her older brother. Out of all her siblings... Henry reminded the poor girl of her father the most. Maybe that was why she always looked to him when she needed someone to fight away the bogie-things.

The boy smiled weakly and scooped the child into his arms. He wasn't about to tell her that he wasn't sure where 'Daddy' was, so.... "Don't worry.... Dad will be home soon...." Lying wasn't the best thing to do... but it sure made him feel better-- an awful lot better... even though he knew that it was only that.

A lie.

Riiinnng!

Sighing heavily, Henry put his sister on his bed, told her not to touch ANYTHING (including his Terriermon stuffed animal), then zoomed out to answer the phone. Who would be calling on a Saturday? He'd already told Kazu and Kenta that he had to babysit Susie, and his mother would be back soon! "Hello?"

The first thing he heard made his breath catch in his throat and his blood run cold....

"Oh, God! He's gone, Henry! He's GONE!"

"Wha... what?!" The voice was familiar... and who was it talking about...? "Who...?"

The person on the other end of the line growled in annoyance. "This is Rika Nonaka-- the 'Digimon Queen,' remember?!"

Okay... that explained a lot. But how did she get his number...? And who was gone? "What... are you talking about...?"

"Look-- I don't have time for any crap, brainiac. Takato is missing-- no one knows where he went. His parents have already contacted the police, but you know those lazy bums.... They say he 'has to be missing for forty-eight hours and blah-blah-blah.'" She let out a scowl and lowered her voice. Rika continued:

"We need to find him-- now. I found your last name in the phone book and tried my luck-- guess I'm really lucky, eh? Anyway, I need you to call those other people.... You know, the girl and the two idiots. I plan to search.... I don't care if you don't want to help-- it's really not our problem-- but... Goggle-head's our friend."

Henry stared out of the livingroom window blankly. Takato... a good friend of his-- gone. It... it was just beginning to sink into his head. Was... was he going to help? Really now... the police could handle it... right? They always found lost people! Then again... there were times when the person was... dead. Still-- he wouldn't be dead! Not Takato! And yet... what if it were to be too late...? What if, when they found him, he was....

"I'll help. Just tell me what you plan on doing."

~*~

"Sir-- everything is ready!"

"Good... all we have to do is wait for him to fall asleep...."

"What...? Can't we just knock him out with some--"

"It has to be natural! No drugs!"

Augh... his head felt like a semi whammed into it..... More or less... it hurt. Where... where was he? The last thing he could remember was walking down the street, on his way to Rika's when... something banged the back of his neck. Hard. God... he could STILL feel it. With a moan, he attempted to stretch... and snapped his eyes open.

He was latched to some type of metal bed!

"Oh, man...," he groaned, almond eyes studying his surroundings with nervousness. Good Lord... what were those machines for...? And why the heck was he tied up?! The bed-thing was too stiff! If those voices expected him to fall asleep....

"Ah... you're awake. Good."

Takato glanced over to the voice. Some guy swaggered up to him, a grin apparent on his face; there were people all over in the background. A whole, big lot of them.... Oh... geeze. What was going on?! What did they want with him...? "Who...?"

The man chuckled. So young, so naive. Just perfect... for his plans. "You'll find out in due time...," he muttered; with a wave of his arm, he motioned for everyone to leave. "Right now, my dreamer... you must be tired. Please sleep."

"WAIT! DON'T LEAVE ME HERE!" the brown haired boy hollered, struggling with all his might to break free. It didn't work... it merely caused him to rub his wrists raw. "Why... do I have to go to sleep...?"

Right before he shut the door... the man whispered, "You'll see, my dreamer.... You'll see."

~*~

A/N: *hides in a corner* Gomen nasai, mina-chan! I didn't mean to take so long on this part.... I've just been busy. Be glad that I didn't make it as long as I had first intended! What is now going into part ten was originally going to be in this one, so.... Please bear with me! I only have about 20 more days of school! WHOO!

Anyway, this chapter is dedicated to three of my most constant reviewers: Ori, Eagle_33, and DC. You guys are the best! And great friends, too! To James Potter: although I won't tell you if you're correct (I'm mean, heh), I will say that you ARE close! In fact, part of your guess was right, as you have read above! Also, although I have this whole thing set in stone on how it will end from here... does anyone think I should add Ryo, Mako (Makoto), and Ai? I've been thinking about it... but wasn't sure. Back when I started, I barely knew anything about Ryo, and I didn't even know who Makoto and Ai were! So, I guess it's up to you guys-- the readers. If any one of those characters are favorites of yours... tell me! I'll try to add them in somewhere!

Well, thanks for reading.... I have to go to bed now (it's, like, 12:30....). Here's a preview for the next chapter!-Angel-Chan

Fated: Part Ten

No way...!

Kazu slumped and hugged his pillow. Screw that.... He didn't care WHY Henry wanted to see them all now.... It was getting darker out, and he wanted sleep. Besides... Wong was late! If he was gonna call some type of meeting... he should at least come on time!

Kenta yawned. Man... he should've brought his pillow. Envious of Kazu's near-slumber experience, the boy was half-tempted to snatch the bundle of comfort away from him! It just wasn't right that he got to sleep while no one else had that luxury! He stood up, approached his sleeping friend and....

"Sorry I'm late-- my mom wanted to know why I had to leave!"

Jeri giggled. "It's okay...." Then again... when her parents discovered that she'd snuck out.... Oh well... she'd worry about that later. "Why did you need to see us...?"

The two boys glared daggers toward their blue haired friend. Yes... they wanted a good reason, too. And if he didn't come up with one, then....

"Takato's missing."

Okay-- THAT was a good reason.