Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.

Summary: First part in the Series. Expected to be around four chapters + prologue. AU everyone, Taichi has a little secret, okay maybe it's not that little.

Thoughts

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Tai's little Secret

Part I

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The falling leaves from the many trees covering the school ground fell gently around her, as she looked up from where she stood. Towering over her, the wine covered wall of the school dormitory also gave off its own shower of falling flower leaves, adding a beautiful effect to the sun filled autumn day.

Dressed in a large blue t-shirt, she had a black, long sleeved T-shirt under it and wore a pair of blue jeans with white sneakers on her feet. She looked down at the books in her hands, or more precisely at the watch she was wearing on her right arm. Looking back up, she pouted and began to tap her foot on the gravel path leading down to the school building. Finally she spotted the one she had been waiting for breaking out from the shadow of the main school entrance.

Wearing a short skirt and a lose shirt, she was struggling to hold onto her books as she also tried to fix the last strand of hair while running. Looking up, she opened her mouth to greet her, but never got around to it as the sound of a loud voice yelling Tai's name broke out and distracted her from whoever it was in front of her. As the world started to shake, Tai blinked her eyes at the noise and began to panic as the world faded away into a messy white swirl around her.

"No wait, come back!"

Eyes opening, she came face to face with her little sister's face staring down at her.

***********

Kari looked down at the way her big sister was sleeping. One leg lying over the railing of the bed and dangling in the air, she had a small drop of drool handing from her mouth. Chocolate colored eyes blinking as she woke up, she mumbled something, then she began to pull the blanket further up to cover her head. "Just another five minutes." Could plainly be heard as the blanket covered her face completely. Frowning at the sleepy voice, and knowing from past experiences, that if she let her big sister get her five more minutes of sleep, she was never gong to get up, she had no way to get her up, but to use plan A. Smirking in a way only a plotting sibling could, Kari looked down at the blanket and did the same thing she had done almost every morning for the last five years.

Tai screamed as the warm blanket was ripped off and the cold air of the room rushed in to take the nice warm air away from her. Sitting up, she noticed her little sister running out of the room with her blanket trailing behind her. "Hikari, you get back here now!" Jumping out of the top bunk, she landed on her feet, and began to chase her little sister around the apartment yelling loudly.

Standing in the doorway, their mother had tears running down her cheeks while biting into a small handkerchief. "My little girl, so big now, and all grown up. Only two days till she moves out on her own" Drifting off into a dream world, she sighed and hugged herself. "Maybe she'll find a nice boyfriend there and marry him. Oh, I can't wait to become a grandmother."

The sound of Tai and Kari face faulting inside the main room woke her up from her dream world. "MUM!!" Tai glared at her, as she appeared right in the center of the room. "I'm not getting married. I'm only 11 years old!" Tai felt a vain pop as her mother laughed with a scary and sneaky look in her eyes. For some strange reason, she had the desire to remain at that school for the rest of the year.

Still smiling, their mum wrapped Tai up in a bone-crushing hug and cried onto her shoulder. "You be good you hear. And write everyday. Okay every third day. Don't forget to come home for Christmas you hear." Holding Tai away from her, she sniffed a little. "Now eat your breakfast. I made all your favorites." As Tai stared at the large pile of food, on the table her mother sat down across from her. "Eat up. Your dad will drive you up to your new school as soon as you finish."

**************

It had a sad moment. Standing there in her boy disguise, saying goodbye to each of her friends. Well, they had been missing Mimi. Her parents had dragged her on a vacation somewhere last week. It was a long goodbye, it would be at least six months before she would see anyone of them again and even then the school would only let her home to her family twice a year, for summer vacation and Christmas. Holding the bag with her last minute goodbye presents from her friends, her mind drifted back to each of her friends and the goodbyes.

She had gotten a small flower from Sora, handpicked by her it even came in a small pot. Sora had been openly crying when she had handed over her present, and it had taken a promise of mailing everyday to calm her down and get her to stop crying. After that, she had gotten a hug from her best girl friend, and most likely her only girl friend.

TK were openly crying over in the corner of the small group and Matt had his hand on the little guy's shoulder to calm him down. The master of ice was looking like he could cry himself, but he were acting though for the group and doing his best to hide it. TK had given her a small stuffed toy in the shape of her Digimon partner Agumon. From the very bad sewing, it was clear that it was a homemade project. Matt's present had been a small harmonica and a stronger and more craving hug then the one she had gotten from Sora. And she had forced into giving more promises of writing everyday, and if possible, to call him on the phone. Despite everything that had happened between them in the digital world, Matt was her best friend. No, he was more like a brother to her, the brother she never had, and TK, little TK with the big heart and strong will was her little brother.

Joe had been very quiet. No crying, no big scene, just a hand on the shoulder and quick hug. She had frankly expected him to at lest shred a tear over something like this. But Joe, good old reliable Joe had been the grown up again, the strong one. Acting like a big brother giving his favorite little brother advice on how to act out there in the big, dark and scary world. Her present from him had been a little strange. She could remember staring at the small doctors manual and then up at him. Then she had remembered his role in the digital world. The one to help if anyone got hurt in the battles, keeping tap of everyone and making sure they were okay.

Izzy hadn't had a present like the others. Instead she had gotten a CD from him, with strict orders on how to not use it. From what she had understood it was something he had made on his laptop and burned over on the CD for him. Putting it into a more safer place then where it was right now, she vowed to find a cheap laptop or public computer to watch it later.

Kari had been all tears and had to be pried lose of her leg before she sat into the car. Kari had even sworn that if Tai didn't write to her on a everyday basis, she would hunt her down and demand an explanation from her personally, as too why she hadn't gotten an e-mail that day. Tai had freaked out by the look in her eyes and vowed to get a laptop ASAP, the sooner the better. Smiling, she drifted off into a dreamless sleep to the movement of the car.

**************

"Wake up Tai. We're here"

Blinking, She sat up in her seat and looked out the window. They were holding in the school parking lot at the moment. "Okay dad." Yawning, she unbuckled her seatbelt, and popped open the door. Still sitting inside the car, she took a deep breath and sighed. "Wow!"

Her father grinned as he stepped out of the car. "You, there really something to be said about the fresh air out here." Closing the cardoor, he lifted his car keys and looked at her. "Now hurry up. You have six months to enjoy the fresh air. But we only have ten minutes to find the ms. Yuna's office and get your room key."

Stepping out of the car, She slammed the door and streched. Holding the bag with her gifts and her trusty packback in the other. She gave a smile at her dad before turning to look at her new home. For a school it was strangely quiet and there seemed to be a lack of students on the campus, she had expected there to be a lot more, but there was really no one outside. The school itself was more along a manor, then a normal school, built in an old British style, with lots of large glass windows. Vines covered the main building and did a great job of hiding the dull, gray stone color of the building itself. From the large open square in front of the main building, a small series of paths led off to the newer dorm buildings, that had been built when the place was turned into a school.

Her father looked at her and gave a sad smile, this was the time when his precious little girl first left home all alone. Sure she had gone to the digital world, but she had that strange little orange dinosaur at that time to protect her. "Well, come on. Can't keep Ms. Yuna waiting for us." Walking up the stone covered driveway from the parking spot. He took some time to look around as well. In the distance, the ocean could be heard, but the school blocked the view to it, maybe he would take a small stroll along the beach. It had been so long since he had last seen it.

Shrugging, Tai grabbed her backpack, and started to jog after her father. She wouldn't show it, but she was really nothing more then a bundle of nerves. She was wondering if the other girls on the school would accept her, or if she would be the outcast. Still it would only hurt her to think about it right now. Stepping into a pace that matched her dads, she walked up the stairs and pushed the doorbell next to the two large wooden doors.

**************

Ms. Yuna looked across her desk and settled her eyes on the young girl and the man that had come with her. Her eyes lingered for a moment on the very boyish clothes the girl wore, and then she turned to look at the father. "So, you're Taichi Yagami?" Opening the small folder she looked through them with a critical eye. "You grades are a little low, but I'm sure we can help you with them. I also notice that you were on your old school soccer team." Giving a smile, she closed the folder. "We have a small soccer team here, if you are willing, you can join it." Then her voice became and face professional. "While we have a very open dress code here. There are some limitations. I'm afraid that you boy clothes don't fit in. We don't use uniforms here, but you are to expected to maintain a proper attiare while on school property. Main gates closed at nine on schooldays and eleven on weekends." Opening a drawer, she pulled a small folder of papers and handed it over. "Here's you class scedual, and a list of the school rules for you to follow. Breakfasts at seven AM, dinner at one PM and supper at Seven PM."

Tai nodded and took the "Thank you." Opening her backpack, she dropped paper down into it." Then she looked up and smiled. "Say, I didn't see that many students when I walked up here."

Ms. Yuna looked at her as she spoke, then she stood up. "Well the school doesn't start until next week. So you're pretty much alone except for the two other girls starting this year." At the puzzled look on Tai's face, she pattered the younger girls shoulder. "I believe in giving people a time to a just to a place and learn it's layout, before forcing them to keep up a busy timetable." Opening the door and taking off a key from a small holder on the wall next to it, she looked back at them. "Well, I think that was it. If you have any questions, you can ask them as I show you where the different things are in this place, and where you'll be sleeping."

The tour was long. Ms. Yuna showed them everything, from the dinner room to the shower room, in the last case. Tai's dad was told to wait outside, just in case one of the other girls was using it at the time. In the end, they started to walk up a large staircase leading up to the second floor of the main building. "We're normally seen as a very snobbish place." Ms. Yuna began explaining as the stepped off the stairs and turned down the left corridor. "Largely because of the low number of students who go here, and the cost of the place. But as you read in out letter, the new owner opened the doors to everyone, not just the best of the best. It also helped with the locals view on this place, that some of their children could come here instead of going to school in a neighboring town." Stopping to look at Tai, she gave a smile. "Well. Here's your room, remember you'll be sharing it with one other student. Take a look around, and get used to it. If you have any questions, feel free to come to me." Turning to Tai's dad, she gave a small bow. "Mr. Yagami."

Tai looked back at her, and then at the door. "Well, this is it." Slowly she stuck the key into the keyhole and turned it around. As the door swung open she picked up her bag and stepped inside. "Looks like there's plenty room." Putting the bag down, she turned around and looked at her dad as she stepped out again. "Well, I just need the two suitcases in the car and then…" Giving a small sob, she wrapped her hands around her father. "I'll miss you, and Mum and Kari." Her dad hugged her back and shred a few tears himself. After a good five minutes Tai stood up. "Come one, We'd better get those suitcases, or else, I'm never gonna stop crying."

**************

Tai slowly looked around the room she would be spending most of the year in. A large bunk bed lined one wall, and to the other side, was a bare wall only broken by a mirror and a large wooden plate. Putting up posters on the painted had been forbidden since it would cost too much to repaint the wall every time a new student showed up. If she really wanted to put up one, she had to use the plate that could be attached to the small rail near the ceiling. Next to the window with the large window still, was a large brown desk used for studying.

Turning her head. She looked at the clothes she was wearing, and slowly began to opened her suitcase. It was going to be good to get out of the large and baggy clothes. Besides, if she wanted to find herself, she had to let go of her macho tomboy self, and embrace the feminine Tai. The blue shirt landed on the bed, next came the goggles and finally the brown shorts. Opening the suitcase, she pulled out a sleeveless blue shirt and a pair of light blue jeans. Both were a lot less baggy then her boy clothes and clearly showed that she was a girl. Grabbing the brush her sister had given her, she turned to the wall mirror. Slowly, she looked as her hair lost it messy style, and became more tamed.

Dropping the brush on the table, she pulled opened the window and sat down on the window still. She could feel the ocean breeze as well as hear the faint cries of a few seagulls. Slowly, her mind wandered back in time. Back to when she was still a girl, not someone who pretended to be a boy.

+++++++++Flashback++++++++++

A very young Tai, no more then five years old is sitting on the side of a sand box watching a group of seven kids playing soccer on the nearby grass field with big eyes. Smiling a little, she stands up and walks over to them when they stop playing for a while. Pulling on the shirt of the eldest boy to get his attention.

Standing a good deal over her, with curly black hair, he's around seven years old and towering over her. Looking down to see who was bugging him, he looked at Tai with narrowed eyes. "What?"

Taking a step back from the anger in his voice, Tai stopped and looked up at him with determination in her eyes. "Can I play too?"

Looking at Tai as she returns his look with a hopeful and determined one, he lowered his eyes to stare at the pink overall for a short second. Then his mouth cracked into a cruel smile. "Yeah right. Hey guys, little miss princess here wants to play soccer with us, what do we say to that?" The other guys ranging from around five to six years old looked up at her and then began to laugh.

Tai blinked her eyes angrily as the other boys start to laugh at her. Feeling her eyes tear up, she looked up at the leader. "Why not? I can be just as good as you are" Stomping her foot, she crossed her arms over her chest and glared up at him.

Looking down at her, he bounced the soccer ball for a bit. Then he smirked. "Okay, catch." Bouncing the ball of her head, he grinned as she fall back over, holding her head. "That's way you can't play. Everyone knows girls can't play soccer cause they are so weak." Laughing, he waved at his friends. "Come on, let's leave the little pink princess here and play some soccer."

Glaring at the retreating boys from where she was sitting, Tai looked down at her pink overall and grumbled. Standing up slowly, she gave a loud shriek when the ball hit her in the head from behind, sending her down on the grass again, this time with face first.

"Sorry!" Came in very sarcastic tone from the boys playing.

Looking over her shoulder with tears in her eyes, she glared at the entire group of boys who were laughing loudly. Standing up, she glared down at the ball before kicking it. Running away after that, she never saw one of the boys whistle at how far she kicked it. It was not until five minutes later that she was sitting under a tree on the other side of the sand box, that she stopped crying, her eyes glowing with determination. "I'll show them who's the best boy."

The next day, she stood in the park again. Her long brown hair held up in a messy style by a blue headband and goggles. Wearing a large baggy shirt and brown pants, she stared at the same group of kids from the day before. As the game slowed down, one of the boys looked up and motioned for Tai to join in.

+++++++++End Flashback++++++++++++

Tai awoke from her small flashback and shook her head, that was all in the past, for now, she had to focus on finding herself. Sliding down from the window still, she looked down the wide green area until she spotted the outskirt of the town lying next to the school and ocean. Maybe a small walk would clear up the hundreds of thoughts running through her mind. Walking down the hallway, she looked around the empty school. There weren't that many students around yet, and so most of the place was empty and quiet.

Finding the current supervisors room, she politely knocked on the door and waited for it to be opened or to be told to come in. As the door opened up, she smiled as the friendly face of old Mrs. Yuna looked down at her. Gesturing for Tai to step in, she made room for her. As Tai stepped in, she closed the door and looked at her. "So Miss. Yagami. Have you settled in yet?"

Smiling, Tai nodded and absently blew away a few stands of hair from her nose; she had been having that wild hairstyle for too long. She still wasn't used to it hanging loosely around her head. "Yes Mrs. Yuna." Still smiling, she mentally kicked herself for being so scared of asking for permission to go into town. "Uh. Mrs. Yuna. I was wondering. Could I be allowed to go into town? I kinda want to see it."

Mrs. Yuna looked up and cast a look out her window and down at the town in the distance. "Well…" At the almost begging look in Tai's eyes she cracked a smile. "Okay, but be back before 8 pm." As Tai's eyes lit up with happiness, she slipped into mother mode. "Don't forget to take something warm with you. This is near the ocean, you never know when it might get cold outside!"

Tai nodded as she slipped over to the door. "I will Mrs. Yuna." Giving a small bow, she opened the door and stepped out into the big entrance hall, running up the stairs, she opened the door to her room, and grabbed her small backpack and a summer jacket. Stuffing the jacket into it, she slipped on the backpack and left her room. Closing and locking the door, she gave a loud sigh and began to head into town.

**************

Slowly walking down the small city streets. Tai took in a deep breath and gave a faint smile. The air was so much fresher and better smelling near the ocean, then it was in Tokyo, plus she had never seen a place like this before, the digital world was beautiful for it vastness and unspoiled nature, but there was still some places in the real world that could rival the digital world at any time.

Still thing over it, Tai reached the main street of the town and found herself in a place that looked like the shopping places back in Odaiba, but there was a lot less people around here. Seeing an anime and manga shop, she grinned and took a few moment to look at the stuff on display in the windows before going in. As she left the shop, she had two new mangas, plus her jacket in the backpack. Looking to the left, Tai spotted one of the few clothing shops that the town had. Outside it, a wide display of dresses and other types of clothes was put on display.

Taking a moment to stare at a blur off the shoulder sweater in the large window, she shook her head. That was much too girlish for her right now. All she wanted was to rediscover who she was, but it wouldn't happen in one day. Still the sweater did look nice. "Hey, I see you like the sweater as well. It's just too bad it's not pink, then I would have gotten it on the spot." A happy and cherry voice broke out from behind her.

Freezing on the spot as she heard the voice. Tai slowly turned around, her eye growing wider by the moment as she recognize each of the things the girl behind was wearing. The cowgirl clothes, the big red hat, and the large brown bag, she had seen it all before. The two strands of cinnamon colored hair falling down over soft brown eyes were also familiar to her. Slowly a name came to mind, a name she hadn't forgotten after the digital world. After all, all eight of them had become best friends in that time they had spent there, even some as different as them. "Mimi?"

Mimi's eye snapped up as her name was spoke in a half scared voice. Running her eyes over the girl in front of her. She took in the lose hanging, yet messy and wild brown hair, and those chocolate colored eyes. She had seen them before, but they belonged to a boy. Not a girl. Slowly her mouth opened and she spoke the name of the only person she could fit those looks too. "Tai… Chi?" Mimi felt her knee's give out and then darkness claimed her.

**************

"Come on, wake up." Hemp, didn't that loudmouthed over active boy understand that a girl needed her beauty sleep. When she woke up from this dream, she was going to give him a piece of her mind. Still, that cold and damp cloth that he just placed on her forehead helped on the small headache she had from fainting. Wait, fainting?

"Tai-chan. You look so nice in that. Much better then those baggy clothes you always wore." The sound of feet moving across the floor made her feel strangely aware off the fact that she was still asleep. Wait; if I'm still asleep, then I shouldn't feel anything, especially that piece of…

"I'm sorry you had to go to such trouble over my little princess." That was her dad's voice.

Sitting up straight, Mimi felt the wet piece of cloth fly off her forehead and land in her lab. Staring a little while on the wall with the painting of a beach on it, she began to remember the room she was in, it was the main room of the summer house that she and her family was staying in, which meant that she had been sleeping. Sitting on a chair near the window, her father was reading the local newspaper with a relaxed expression, noticing her; he folded up the paper and turned to smile at her. "Wha?" Flopping back down on the small futon to rest some more, she groaned loudly as the events of her dream was still too clear for her liking. "I just had the weirdest dream. No, more like a nightmare. I mean, there's no way that loud, and overactive Taichi-kun could be a girl." Opening her eyes at the sound of small intake of air besides her, she caught her dad looking at something on the other side of her. Fearing what she was going to see, but filled with a morbid curiosity, she turned her head to the side and found Tai busy staring down at the floor. And if she was not mistaken, she was blushing a little from the looks of it. "Taichi-kun?"

Then a face shot up besides Tai. Grabbing the girl with the dark brown hair in a hug from behind, Mimi's mum gave a wide sugar filled smile that screamed out happiness and joy at the world. "My little Mimi-chan. You are awake!" Cherry smile turning into a little frown, she looked down at her. "You gave me and dad such a big scare. Fainting like that!" Then her head looked at the brown haired girl trying to sink through the floorboard of the room. "Look, Tai-chan showed up, she caught you before you hit your head on the nasty sidewalk."

Mimi looked from her mom to whom she had always though a boy. Her eyes nothing more then small dots, her moth opened and closed just like a goldfish. Slowly her hand moved out and poked Tai's chest. Her eyes became even smaller when she felt something small, but still clearly something no boy should have. "You mean, you knew. And why is he, I mean she, I…" Her voice becoming more, and more weaker as she spoke, until her mouth was back to looking like a gold fish's. Finally her mind gave up trying to figure out this universe and shut down. In other words, hello darkness, goodbye world, Mimi felt herself drift off as the ground came rushing up to meet her again.

Tai, and Mimi's over hyped mum blinked as Mimi's eyes snapped shut before she fell back over again. Looking down at the unconscious gill, with big teary eyes, Mimi's mother bit her sleeve. "Oh my poor girl" Tai slowly pulled out on her shirt as she tried to get her face to stop blushing, that little episode had been very embarrassing.

Tbc.

Questions from the reviewers:

DigiWizardress.

1: Please do not make it Tai/Yamato!! Err, I'm not a big fan of that

A: I don't know if I'm going to put in a coupling in this fic at all.

And for those of you with a fear of Yaoi and Yuri couplings, I don't know about that yet. So far the only thing between Tai and Mimi will be a friendship.

2: My question is why did Taichi have to hide his/her gender? Could ya do a flashback or something? Thanx and update soon!

A: Hope the flashback could help you. But don't worry, there's more to this story then that. Look out for more from Tai's past next time when Tai explains why she pretended to be boy for the last five years, and not just told her friends that she was a girl.

AN: I'm not working with that tight a time plan again. Look for an Update in two weeks time. Somewhere around Saturday or Sunday. You can still sign up for the updating list. If you do, I'll send you a mail telling you that I have updated it, and I'll even put a link to the new chapter for you to use in it.

Story looks rushed in some parts. But before you complain, remember this I wrote it Monday-Wensday and Thursday. If there's a small problem with the ending, that's because I wrote it right after the small dream in the start. The goodbye scene was short, mostly because I don't know how to write most them in-character, as for the small scene wit Tai and her dad. Well, I hope you liked it. I was have small problem writing it.

Send mail address here: deminohoyer@hotmail.com

Hmm, no flames, I was so sure I would get flamed for making a story like this. Not that I'm complaining.

Anyway.

Ja Ne,

Dak.