Final Redemption

by FortressMaximus

------------------------------------

"One...two...three.....uhm...five...?.".

"No...that's not right Mako.." whispered Ai, still keeping her eyes buried

in the crook of her arm.

"Then what comes after three?" asked the younger of the pair. "I can't peek

at my fingers to count..." he reminded his sister.

Blinking, the girl thought for a moment before a solution popped into her

head.

"Hey..Mako?"

"Yea..?"

"We're supposed to count to ten, right?"

"Uh huh...".

"And we've been counting and talking right?"

"I guess so..." replied the slightly confused boy.

"Then it's /got/ to be ten by now right?"

A silence filled the air as her brother considered the logic for a moment. 

It /did/ kinda make sense.

So...

"Ready or not here we come!" came the twin shouts of glee as the siblings 

broke from their counting stance and dashed out into the yard to find 

Impmon.

"I bet he's in the dog house!"

"Nuh huh! He's behind the garage!"

And so the arguing began, with each one /sure/ they knew where their friend

and Digimon partner was hiding. And from the lowest branch of a rather 

impressively tall tree, Impmon smiled as the youngsters ran around looking 

in all the wrong places.

Now, in his own defense, he wasn't hiding in the tree so they /couldn't/ 

find him;

but so they /wouldn't/ find him so quickly.

Having promised to keep an eye on the kids while the parents were away for

the morning, the Digimon had to keep his Tamers occupied with fun for the

next little while. With his knowledge of Earth games so limited, he had to

stretch the fun out as long as possible.

Besides, he was having just as much fun as his Tamers.

Of course, he would never admit that to anyone.

A squeal of delight filled the air as Ai thought she had found the hidden

Digimon, but it quickly turned to dismay when it was her little brother

instead.

"Mako..I thought you were Impmon!" she chided in the best imitation of her

mom's voice she could muster.

"I thought he was hiding in the goldfish pond!"

"I was going to check there next! That was my looking place!"

"Was not!"

"Was too!"

"Nuh huh!"

"Uh huh!"

And thus the great intellectual debate continued until Impmon heard tempers

rising in the pair of voices and decided to make an appearance to get the

game back on track. Easily landing on the ground, he took off running but

only /just/ fast enough for the kids to notice and chase after, thus ending

the argument before the name calling got to the really /bad/ words.

Giggles of delight filled the air as once again brother and sister chased

after their friend; the earlier argument vanishing into that place wherever 

a

child's' short attention span sends memories as they move on to the next fun

thing.

Ducking in the dog house, Impmon watched the two humans rush by knowing

they wouldn't consider looking someplace that had already been checked.

Grinning as he peeked out the door, the Digimon suddenly blinked when a very

wet nose started to sniff him.

Turning, he frowned at the canine who's home he had invaded. "Hey! Keep

that nose to yerself flea bag!" hissed the Digimon. Even after all that had

happened between him, his Tamers, the other Digimon-everything that he had

done-one thing still remained the same, even after all this time.

He still didn't like that dog.

With the canine equivalent of a shrug, the puppy yawned and went back to

bed, effectively ignoring Impmon.

"Why you..." he groused, only to be interrupted by a shriek of fright.

"Ai!" shouted the Digimon as, without a thought of his own safety, tore from 

the doghouse, across the yard, and around the corner as his heart pounded 

like a mad drummer.

Summoning all his energy, Impmon prepared to do battle with whatever dare 

threaten his Tamers. No matter what foul creature had attacked, the Digimon 

was more than ready for /anything/.

Except a sudden burst of giggling.

Turning one last corner, Impmon skidded to a halt as a half-dozen DigiGnomes 

were flying around Ai and Mako, unsure if all the giggling was coming from 

his partners or the digital creatures.

"Hey Impmon, look! Flying fishes!" cheered Mako as this was /so/ much

cooler than 'tag'.

Blinking in disbelief at the sight before him, the Digimon just watched as

the swarm of DigiGnomes (**if six could be called a swarm** he thought...)

duck in and out amongst the kids causing the pair of humans laugh at all the

fun they were having.

Impmon looked over as Ai's voice caught his attention. "Impmon, are these 

Digimon too..?"

Not quite sure how to answer without confusing his Tamer, Impmon took

a moment to choose his words carefully. A few seconds later an idea came to

him. "DigiGnomes are kinda like Digimon, but they can't digivolve and they

don't have Tamers...".

Mako looked over and frowned. "That's sad they can't dig-e-fall Impmon..."

comment the boy as the struggled with the word before finally getting it out

mostly correct.

"But if they don't have to worry about things like that, they can play all

day!" countered Ai as she watched her brother's frown turn into a wide grin.

"Wow! They can play all day?? Hey Impmon, can they play tag with us??" asked 

Mako, eyes widening at the thought of both playing 'tag' and having the 

flying fishes join them.

Now it was Impmon's turn to frown slightly. "They usually can't stay to play 

Mako. See, DigiGnomes are kinda like builders for the Digital World. They 

run and get stuff to make new places to live..." he explained, hoping the 

kids would understand.

The pair did, but Ai glanced over. "Maybe their boss let them have a day off 

to play like Daddy's did when he won those free zoo tickets last year?"

Impmon smiled ever-so slightly at how simply the children saw the world and, 

not for the first time, wished he could see it the same way. But with all he 

had seen and done, the Digimon knew he could never view the world in such 

simple ways again.

"Maybe..." he began as a few of the Gnomes flew over to him and swirled 

around his form, chattering louder now for some reason. Ignoring them, 

Impmon went back to his explination..."but they report directly to the 

Digimon Sove....." .

Ai and Mako looked at each other as they noticed Impmon actually turning 

white for some reason. "Impmon, are you okay...?" asked the girl.

**Oh man! If the DigiGnomes are here, then the Sovereigns must want 

something from the real world. But what!?**

It was then the Digimon noticed the rest of the Gnomes surrounding him, now 

chattering more intently than before.

The realization hit him like a ton of bricks.

"Oh. Yea."

"Impmon...?" asked Mako, his voice filling with worry.

Shaking his head, Impmon shoved his concerns why the Sovereigns would summon 

him after all this time on his mental back burner. Trying to explain what 

needed to happen to his Tamers was going to be hard enough without 

explaining more about his past than he wanted to.

"Hey, don't worry Mako!" reassured the Digimon with his best fake smile. 

"The Sovereigns are really good guys! The probably sent the DigiGnomes here 

ta take me back to get a medal for helping kick the D-Reapers butt!"

The two Tamers looked at each other, for a moment unsure if Impmon was 

teasing them. But with that big grin and knowing that he would /never lie/ 

to them, the pair took his words at face value.

"Wow! Your going to get a medal??" asked Ai, more than a hint of awe in her 

voice.

"Yep!" replied the Digimon, feeling like slime on the inside for lying to 

his friends.

"Impmon, what's a 'sorry fern'?"

At that question Impmon blinked. How /do/ do you describe an ancient dragon, 

a fiery phoenix, a two-headed turtle AND a ferocious white tiger-all with 

near infinite power?

"The Sovereigns are like principals Mako.." explained the Digimon, using

the first example that popped into his head. "So I'm being called to the

principals office, but for a good thing."

"Kinda like I did when I won the spelling bee?" asked Ai, making sure she 

understood.

Impmon nodded.

The chattering of the DigiGnomes interrupted the conversation as all six 

were flying around Impmon now, bumping into him as a not-too-subtle warning 

that he was expected elsewhere and soon.

"Hey-hey-hey!" yelled Impmon as he broke free of the Gnomes before they 

could carry him off. "It's not like I can just up and leave the kids all by 

themselves!" he shouted at them.

"But Impmon..." began Ai..."can't we come with you?"

The Digimon froze in place. "Huh??"

"Yea Impmon!" cheered Mako. "We can go with you to the Digital World and

watch you get your medal!"

"Oh no you two are not! Impmon, just /what/ is going on here!?" chided a

voice new to the conversation.

With a grin the children ran over to their mother, just arrived back with 

her husband who was still parking the car.

"See mom, Impmon's going to the Digital World to get a medal!"

"And the principal of the Digital World is gonna give it to him!"

"Because he was so brave in stopping the D-Reaper!"

"So can we go tooo???!!" echoed the pair of young voices as they tried

their own special attack: ultimate pleading.

Mother was about to scold Impmon for getting the kids all excited over

something he /knew/ they shouldn't do. But as she looked at the sense of 

worry in his eyes, she knew that whatever he had told them was far from the 

truth. He was worried, but more for their sake than his own. The Digimon 

didn't want the kids to come as much as she didn't want them to go.

Kneeling down, Mother glanced up as Father walked over, shooting him an 

'I'll explain later' look that he understood completely. 'Now 

kids...remember you have to go to your Grandmothers' birthday party 

tomorrow, and it would make her sad if two of her favorite grand kids wasn't 

there to wish her a happy birthday!"

"Oh..." replied the duo as they looked at their feet, embarrassed they 

forgot something that important.

Impmon flashed a look of gratefulness towards the woman, knowing it would be 

much safer for the two humans if they were to stay here. Still, his heart 

was breaking at seeing those long faces...

"Hey...don't worry guys!" beamed the Digimon. "You can go to the birthday 

party and when I get back you can hear all about my trip! That way you get 

cake, ice cream, /and/ a story too!"

Ai and Mako looked at each other for a long moment before rushing over and

hugging Impmon. "Promise you'll tell us everything??" asked Ai as she kissed

him on the cheek.

Ignoring the tint upon his face, Impmon nodded. "Sure! And don't eat all the 

ice cream! It gives you tummy aches..." he said, feeling a bit 

overprotective considering the last time that happened the kids were 

miserable for two days.

"We won't Impmon!" giggled Mako, the look on his face at the thought of all 

that ice cream belying his words.

A strained silence passed over the group before Impmon could stand it no 

longer. "Okay.." he glanced at the DigiGnomes as they had waited patiently 

for the talking to end. "Let's get this show on the road!"

Chattering amongst themselves, the DigiGnomes flew in a wide circle around 

Impmon, going faster and faster until a data bubble appeared around the 

Digimon. Angling upwards, the DigiGnomes-with Impmon in tow- started to rise 

into the midmorning sky.

"Be careful Impmon!" yelled the kids as Mother gave him a respectful nod,

saying that she would look after them. He nodded in return, knowing that if 

this became a one-way trip, Mako and Ai would still be safe; refusing a 

command of the Sovereigns was not something one did lightly. Considering 

they could have sent something a /LOT/

more powerful than the DigiGnomes to get his attention, this way was simply 

the best way for everyone.

With a shiver, Impmon felt the presence of a rip in the fabric of reality; 

one of potentially many left over in the battle against the D-Reaper. In a 

little while he was going to be back home, summoned to appear by the most 

powerful beings he knew for who-knows-what. As he leaned back, the Digimon 

knew there was little to do now but wait. "Geesh...can I at least get an 

in-flight movie around here!?" he sneered, but more playful chatter was the 

only reply.

The sparking red, white and yellow of the tear approached, and Impmon's last 

thought in the real world was that he never got a chance to tell the other 

Digimon and Tamers good-bye.

Then he was gone.

Watching until they could see nothing else, Mother gently escorted the pair 

back inside trying to keep their minds focused on happier things than saying 

good-bye to Impmon. With a smile she pulled two foil-wrapped packages from 

her purse and handed them to the children. "Here you go kids! Since you were 

so good this morning, these for you!" she watched their eyes light up at the 

packs of Digimon cards they now held.

"Thank you mommy!" cheered Mako and he and his sister tore into them with 

glee. Watching their frowns turn into smiles was always a treat, but seeing 

how the small gifts had lifted their spirits made the money spent seem like 

the greatest bargain in the world.

Quietly exchanging hushed whispers, both rushed to the room they shared and 

brought back their collection of cards and started to trade. But admist the 

wheeling and dealing, a puzzled Mako held up one of the new cards, 

apparently trying to figure something out.

"What is it sweetie..?" asked Mother, sipping the cup of coffee her husband 

just handed her.

"Momma...what's a..." the boy began, trying to sound out the word giving him 

trouble.. "Gol...lee...i...th...?" he asked, puzzled by this card he had 

never seen before.

-------------

"Jeri...?"

"Jeri...breakfast is ready.." she mentioned a little louder, guessing her 

daughter wasn't fully up and awake yet.

"I'm not hungry..." came the response through the closed door.

"Jeri...honey...you didn't have any dinner last night either. You /need/ to 

eat something..." gently reminded the woman. For the past several days, Jeri 

had been sinking deeper into depression and every attempt to find the cause 

had met with failure. Her husband had been of little help, content to simply 

dismissed his daughter's mood swing as being 'childish'. If the young woman 

wanted to 'sulk around like a 5 year old instead of acting her age', then he 

was not going to be a part of such nonsense.

However, mother knew that deep down he was worried about his little girl, 

but his stubborn pride prevented him from admitting it openly. With a deep 

sigh, she once more wished this extended family of hers would finally pull 

together and become the caring one she knew they could be.

Turning away from such thoughts, Shizue focused on the problem at hand. 

"Jeri, I know something is hurting you, and I want to help. No matter what, 

you can tell me. I care about you, and I want to help."

Silence filled the air until the squeak of a bedspring followed by light 

creeks upon the hardwood floor broke the quiet of the hallway. Then, slowly, 

the door opened and Jeri fixed the woman with an empty look.

"Why?"

Taken aback by her daughters' disheveled appearance, the elder woman tried 

to find the words to reply. "Why...what, dear?" she asked, kneeling down to 

face Jeri.

"Why do you care?"

A feeling of shock raced through Shizue as an incredulous look crossed her 

face. "Why do I...?" she repeated, still unable to believe Jeri asked that 

question. "I care Jeri because I'm your mother, and I want you to be..."

As soon as the words were said, she wanted to take them back. But the 

thought came too little, too late.

"You are /not/ my mother!" snarled Jeri as her eyes flashed with rage. "Just 

because you married my father does not give you the right to care!"

As if cornered by some horrible beast, her mother staggered back trying to 

defend herself from the angry youth.

"You think you can just...just come in and try to take over?! Make everyone 

think it's okay to pretend you've always been here?!" yelled Jeri as she 

tightly clutched at the tear-soaked lion she cradled in the crook of her 

arm. "My mom is dead and you will never replace her! Never! Now

LEAVE...ME...ALONE!" she shouted, turning around and running back to her 

room. With the walls now vibrating from the horrendous slam of the door, the 

hallway fell deathly quiet as Jeri's father came running up the stairs, 

clearly unable to miss the argument that just happened.

Still shivering from the look of pure hatred in Jeri's eyes, Shizue turned 

and let herself be enveloped by her spouse's strong arms. It was clear he 

was beyond upset, and nearly called Jeri out to the hallway to apologize 

immediately. It was only when his wife shook her head that he relented.

"No...don't honey. She didn't mean it..." .

"She doesn't have the right to talk to you like that!" he said to her, the 

anger in his voice apparent.

"It wasn't her. It was...the pain. She's in so much pain right now...."

Father looked at her, then at the door in confusion. "She was fine a few 

days ago. What could have happened..." he asked, finally realizing that 

maybe his daughter wasn't being 'childish' after all.

"I don't know..." reluctantly admitted the woman as she pulled away, letting 

her fingers trace the wooden door frame. "...but we need to find out and 

soon."

Tadashi didn't comment, but he knew she was right. With a gentle touch, he 

helped her back downstairs, knowing that to confront Jeri now would drive 

the family further apart.

But one thing had been made abundantly clear: they needed a miracle, and 

they needed it soon.

------------

"W..wo...woah...! Geesh, stop this crazy thing!" yelled Impmon as the data 

bubble bounced along the rocky terrain, giving the Digimon an upside down 

tour of the Digital World. Finally coming to a stop against a rocky cliff 

face, the bubble dispersed and promptly dumped the Digimon ungracefully on 

his rump.

"Why you..I outta sue ya DigiJerks!" seethed Impmon at the departing 

DigiGnomes..."No movie was bad enough, but youse outta have your wings 

revoked for that landing!" complained the small purple and white Digimon as 

he began to look around. Off in the distance, tall stone spires towered into 

the sky, standing as if silent sentinels for this world. High above, flashes 

of light filled the horizon as digital streams impacted with the ground, 

carrying whatever they struck to the far corners of the world. Pools of 

molten lava dotted the landscape, the escaping steam causing pockets of mist 

and fog. Directly overhead, surging with energy, was the digital 

representation of the real world

Wondering why no one was here to greet him, Impmon began to get the 

disturbing feeling that there was something vaguely familiar about the 

pockmarked and pitted earth beneath his feet. Deep fissures ran like cracks 

in a broken windshield along the surface, the bottom hidden by obsidian 

blackness. Massive boulders lay haphazardly here and there, looking like 

marbles that had fallen out of a giants' carrying pouch. Several of the 

rocky outcroppings looked like natural stone steps, each one taller than the 

other and apparently leading to higher ground.

"Might as well see what there's is ta see..." said the Digimon to no one in 

particular as he scaled the steps to find out just /where/ in the Digital 

World he was. A ball of icy worry began to form in his gut as each step up 

made the terrain more familiar. It was only after climbing up and over the 

final step did the dirt and grime covered Impmon finally realize where he 

was.

"Oh...no..." muttered the small being as Zhuqiaomon’s shattered fortress 

stood before him, still towering over all it surveyed. Dread filled his 

heart as the battered castle loomed like a demon; a bleak reminder of the 

battles fought between the fiery Sovereign and the Biomerged Tamers. But 

worse was the flood of memories of his part in leading the Tamers to this 

very castle. The past washed over him as echoes of his Double Impact attack 

rang in his ears. Every bitter taunt and angry gesture was recalled with 

crystal clear clarity. It was then another memory chose to reassert self as 

Leomon's death roar shook Impmon to his core. He looked at his small hands, 

now covered in the noble lion's data as Jeri's wail of agony filled him with 

the most horrific sense of dread possible.

"No..it's not real! It's not..it can't be real!!..." cried the Digimon as he 

grabbed the sides of his head, shaking it to clear the overwhelming images 

from his memory.

Unable to stand the sight before him anymore, Impmon turned and ran away as 

fast as he could. With tears streaming unchecked, the small Digimon's feet 

pounded against the hard ground as he tried to escape his past. When a rock 

caused him to stumble upon his knees, the Digimon tried to get up. However, 

when his hands were placed on the ground, a shiver of realization hit him 

full force like a punch to the gut.

Eyes flying wide open, Impmon pulled back in utter fright as the patch of 

barren earth before him began to glow a golden hue.

/This/ place he knew beyond all doubt.

"It was...right here..." he began, but paused when a huge shadow suddenly 

loomed over him. Gazing upwards, the Digimon's entire body went numb at the 

sight before him.

"Welcome Impmon..." greeted Azulongmon as he watched the smaller Digimon 

back away.

Swallowing heavily, Impmon looked at the huge dragon for a long moment 

before finally finding his voice. "Wh....what do you want from me..?"

"To talk."

Impmon blinked. "To..talk..?" he repeated incredulously. 

"You...brought...me../here/ to talk!?" yelled the Digimon as he felt the 

fear turning to anger. Not at being dragged all the way to the Digital 

World, but rather the dragon picked /this/ spot of all places to 'chat'?!

Azulongmon could sense the anger growing in Impmon as well, but the fact 

that this is where they /needed/ to be-discomforting or not-overrode the 

necessities of taking Impmon's feelings into consideration. "Yes, Impmon. 

/Here/. Where you killed Leomon."

"You think I don't know that!?" yelled the Digimon as he narrowed his eyes 

at the supremely powerful Sovereign. "Is this how you get your jollies now 

dragon-boy?? To see how much you can torment me by being here!? Well let me 

tell you one thing: there is NOTHING you can say or do that will be worse 

than what I think of myself every damm day I wake up and look in the 

mirror!" raged the Digimon, beyond caring what the elder dragon did to him 

at this point. "I am /scum/ okay!? Is that what you wanted to hear!? Well, I 

already /know/ that buddy and despite the fact that EVERY SINGLE DAY I wish 

I could change the past, I know I can't!"

Pausing in his rage, Impmon took a breath which finally allowed Azulongmon 

to get a word in edgewise. "I know that Impmon, and I understand it /far/ 

better than will ever comprehend! But you are not the only one to suffer due 

to your actions!" roared the dragon as his temper flared for just a moment. 

"Right now in the Real World, Jeri is falling into a pit of despair blacker 

than any she suffered at the hands of the D-Reaper! Each day it becomes 

worse, and soon she will be little more than an empty shell; unable to feel 

anything but pain and sorrow!"

Since the young humans had returned to reclaim their Digimon several months 

after the defeat of the D-Reaper, Azulongmon had used the DigiGnomes to keep 

track of their movements. But as the time passed and the other Tamers' 

wounds began to heal, Jeri's only seemed to grow deeper.

"No! Not Jeri! It..can't be. She's okay now! She...she forgave me!" yelled 

Impmon, trying to counter Azulongmons' words.

"She has forgiven you Impmon, yet you have yet to forgive yourself and THAT 

is why it hurts still! I know the pain is great, but are you going to 

standby and do nothing as Jeri faces this alone? Or do you have the courage 

to help her finally find peace?"

Impmon stood there, shaken to the core by the Sovereigns challenge. He had 

already hurt her once beyond measure. Was he going to stand by and let it 

happen again?

Wiping the remaining tears from his eyes, Impmon turned and looked at the 

Sovereign with a powerful gaze. "Tell me what I have to do."

With a nod of approval, the dragon smiled at the bravery Impmon possessed 

and was reassured that he had made the right decision to proceed. "I need 

you to believe in the strength of your Tamers and the friendship you have 

with Jeri. Only those things will guide us to victory."

It was clear that Impmon didn't understand much of what was happening, or 

what part he could possibly play in Jeri's salvation, but for her he would 

move the universe. "You got it big guy..." smirked Impmon as his mask of 

mischievous bravado slid into place. "What's next?"

It was then a sad look crossed Azulongmon's face. This was the part he had 

long dreaded, but with the fate of Jeri's soul hanging in the balance the 

Dragon could ill-afford to turn back now. Glaring down at the smaller 

Digimon, Azulongmon eyes flashed with power as lighting arcs began to swarm 

and build around his form. Brilliant flashes of light raced across the 

heavens as the clouds themselves seemed to be lit from within. It was then 

the dragon chose to answer Impmon's last question, his voice thundering for 

miles in every direction.

"For the sake of all involved Impmon, you must be deleted..." stated the 

Digimon as a powerful arc of energy rose up into the digital sky.

"Lighting Whip!"

And a dimension away as two exhausted children napped, the D-Arc they shared 

flickered violently for a moment; jagged lines of black emptiness and white 

static filling the display. Then, with a final flash of power, the screen 

slowly faded to black.

-----------------

She couldn't stand it any longer.

Torn between wanting to stay the darkened room and getting away from the 

pretender of a mother she had to eventually face, Jeri frowned as she paced 

around the room. An empty, gnawing feeling was eating away at her, making 

her more upset by the minute.

**How dare she think she has the right to care!** seethed the young woman as 

she paused to pick up her birth mother's picture. A gentle caress of her 

fingers over the glass drained some of the anger, but not enough to forgive 

Shizue's pretense about caring, or her father for betraying her mother's 

memory.

Again feeling the overwhelming need to be anyplace but here, Jeri set the 

picture down and quickly changed. Forgoing the simple dress she usually 

wore, the young woman slipped on some denim jeans and a white T-shirt that 

Rika had gave as a birthday gift less than a month ago. Grabbing the small 

hip pouch she had taken to wearing of late, Jeri put on her shoes and 

started down the steps.

And right into her father.

"And just where do you think you're going young lady?" asked Tadashi, his 

voice lowered to a harsh whisper so as to not bother his customers or wife 

with another argument.

"Out." was the terse reply as Jeri began to sidestep around her dad.

With a quick motion his hand flew out and grabbed the wayward child by her 

arm. "You are doing no such thing Jeri! Your mother is in bed upset because 

of the horrible things you said to her. I demand you go up there now and 

apologize!" he hissed, fixing her with a serious gaze.

"She's not my mother! My mother is dead and buried! And I won't apologize to 

that woman upstairs either!" she yelled right back, her voice easily 

carrying down into the bar as she struggled to free herself from her 

fathers' grasp.

Tadashi heard the venom in his daughters voice and knew he had to put a stop 

to this once and for all. "Then you are not going anywhere until you do!"

Eyes narrowing, Jeri used all her strength and pulled free from her dad's 

grip, running past him before he could try again. "You can't tell me what to 

do!" she yelled back, ignoring the stares of the patrons as they listened to 

the argument.

Turning, Jeri ran for the door, tears flowing that her father..of all 

people..didn't understand. She had to get out...get away from all the bad 

memories that had been tormenting her of late.

She had get away so the dreams about Leomon wouldn't find her.

"If you walk out that door Jeri, don't come back until you're ready to 

apologize!" yelled

Tadashi as he glared at her from the bottom step.

As more tears began to fall, Jeri looked at her father, and for a brief 

moment the child within her longed to be held by his embrace. But that hint 

of innocence was quickly washed away by the same gnawing anger as before; 

the same anger that made her realize if her dad truly loved her, he wouldn't 

have married that pretender upstairs.

Tadashi looked at his upset daughter and wondered how she turned from an 

innocent young girl to the angry young woman before him. But-despite every 

fatherly instinct he possessed-he could not realize that her pain was born 

not from hatred, but out of love for someone who-like her mother-was never 

coming back.

Those twin losses, coupled with her feeling of cowardice for not telling 

Leomon the truth on how she felt, was simply more than she could bear. 

Another moment passed before Jeri ran out the door, unable to stand her 

dad's piercing gaze any further. Salty tears fell as the teen ran out into 

the mid-afternoon light.

Turning to grab his coat and dash after his daughter, a reassuring hand 

stopped him before he could slip the garment on. Shizue was there with a sad 

look on her face, clearly having had heard every word. But in her eyes it 

was easy to see that she was going to be the one to bring Jeri home.

Slipping the jacket over his wife's shoulders, Tadashi gently stepped out of 

the way and let her pass. With a kiss on the cheek Shizue she ran out, the 

look on her face speaking volumes about the dedication she possessed to 

bring her daughter home safe and sound.

Knowing it was out of his hands now, Tadashi turned and went back to work as 

the bar slid back into the normal routine. But despite attempts cheer him 

up, he couldn't shake the feeling that no matter the outcome of this day, 

nothing would be the same for his family again.

As Jeri ran deeper into the heart of the city, she missed the small flash of 

light that had again been hiding in her bedroom. Although unable to carry 

out the Sovereigns wishes and bring the Tamer to the Digital World, it had 

done the best alternative possible. Now all that was left was to tell the 

Sovereign.

---------

"Aurora Force!"

The aqua blue energy lashed out, keeping the data cloud that one had been 

Impmon from dispersing into the atmosphere. Several DigiGnomes flew around 

the force-bubble, as if searching for something. Two began to chatter 

incessantly as Azulongmon flew closer, hoping the legends were correct.

Eyes widening as he quietly thanked the powers of Light, the elder Digimon 

nodded to the DigiGnomes who had helped him to accomplish the 

near-impossible. He was about to praise them for their help when another 

DigiGnome appeared

The news was not what he had wished to hear.

"Hurry my friends; we must proceed with all due haste..!" With that, the 

DigiGnomes darted in and out of the bubble, unaffected by the energy field. 

As Azulongmon watched them work, the purple, white and red data of Impmon 

began to part as hints of gold and brown became separate from the more 

dominant colors. With a sudden flash, the ground beneath the energy bubble 

surged, and tendrils of matching golden energy rose skyward, mixing with the 

growing orb of brown and yellow data. Slowly the two began to merge as the 

energy in the earth and the data strove to be whole once more.

Narrowing his eyes, Azulongmon focused his will to keep the Aurora Force 

sphere in place. Even with his power, trying to keep the two Digimon's data 

from dispersing back into the ether would be a strain. He only hoped this 

would work, or three lives would be shattered beyond recovery.

And /that/ is something the ancient Digimon would not let happen to anyone 

else.

Never again.

----------

The world passed by as little more than a teary blur as she ran headlong 

down the sidewalk, well past caring which direction she was heading. All 

Jeri knew was that she needed to run as far and fast as possible to escape 

the nightmares that plagued her. It was bad enough to dream about Leomon 

like...that..., but to actually think he could ever feel the same way about 

her was foolish pride at its worse. And now, with her father hating her the 

darkness she felt inside seemed unstoppable.

Lost in thought, Jeri continued to run at full speed, not realizing the 

concrete under her feet soon gave way to soft ground as the young woman 

found herself deep within the park. As she began to pull back from her own 

thoughts and notice the world around her, it was then she realized where her 

instincts had carried her.

Back to where it all began.

The huge fountain sat there, crystal clear waterfalls flowing top to bottom, 

splashing into the large pool set in the base. The shimmering water 

reflected the young woman's image, slightly distorted by the ripples 

present, but enough for Jeri to take a hard look at herself. Stunned by how 

pitiful she looked, Jeri picked up a rock and tossed it hard into the pool 

disrupting the image for a moment. However, soon it reformed and Jeri simply 

sank to her knees, unable to face herself and the useless person she had 

become. She couldn't tell Leomon how she felt before he died and now the 

chance to do so would never come again.

Overwhelmed by it all, Jeri totally broke down, sobbing into her hands at 

the base of the fountain. At long last, the losses of the past finally broke 

the young woman's spirit.

--------

"I've looked everywhere honey..." sighed Shizue as she watched the world 

pass by her phone booth. "Have you tried Takato's house?"

As she listened, her frown grew deeper as it was clear that wherever Jeri 

had run off to, she wanted to be alone. Not at any of the other Tamers nor 

at her relatives, Shizue was beginning to lose confidence as the sun slipped 

lower in the late-afternoon sky.

It was then she blinked, Tadashi's point making a great deal of sense. "No, 

I haven't checked at the park. You know how she gets..." she reminded her 

husband as Jeri tried to avoid the park whenever possible since her return 

from the Digital World. But at this point there was no where else left to 

check. "I'll search the park and call you if I find anything. I love you 

Tadashi".

Smiling at the reply, Shizue hung up and slid the door open. Stepping back 

onto the busy sidewalk, she impatiently waited for the light to change. 

After it turned, she slipped across the street and into the park, praying 

she could find her daughter before night fell.

--------

At first, Azulongmon thought it was a random power surge, caused by the 

massive amount of energy put out by his Aurora Force. But upon closer 

inspection, it was discovered that the data that had been Impmon was 

imploding; pushed past the point of viability. The chain reaction was taking 

the data particles-and every hope Azulongmon had- with it.

Suddenly, excited chatter pulled the Digimon from his thoughts and over 

towards two of the DigiGnomes. Their conversation was fast and fragmented; 

even to the point Azulongmon had trouble following what was discussed. But 

moments later, the plan became all to clear. With speed born of necessity, 

the two DigiGnomes broke from their fellows and rushed towards the sphere 

that held both Digimons' data.

"No, don't!" shouted Azulongmon, imposing himself between the DigiGnomes and 

their target. "You don't understand what you are doing...!"

But the small creatures knew /exactly/ what they were doing. Streaking 

through the Dragon's body without pause, the two DigiGnomes exited the other 

side, each now glowing with a bluish-red pulse of energy. Before the dragon 

could react further, they impacted with the globe and a thunderous burst of 

energy blanketed the horizon, setting the heavens ablaze.

"Gaaaaah!" screamed Azulongmon as he shielded his eyes from the violent 

burst of light. Long, painful moments passed before the light faded, leaving 

the Sovereign to blink the spots from his eyes and see what had happ....

Through the cloud of haze that still lingered, a figured emerged. At first 

it was hard to see; the outline obscured by the debris still floating in the 

air. Then, as if stepping through a parted curtain, the figure became fully 

visible as he let loose a furious roar of rebirth, his body rippling with 

newfound life.

Leomon stood there, memories of the past washing over him like a surging 

tide. But, among all of those powerful moments, none were more so than a 

young human girl and her courageous heart.

A girl he knew he had to find.

/Now/.

"Where is she?" asked the Digimon as he looked around. It was clear that 

some time had passed since his...leaving; the destruction around him a 

testament to that fact. But regardless of what had happened to this world, 

the lion knew in his heart of hearts that he needed to find Jeri first.

Anything else simply didn't matter.

"She is back in the Real World Leomon. I know you are anxious to see her, 

but there are things you need to..."

"Show me how to get back."

Azulongmon blinked at the command, but nodded as he understood the lion's 

impatience. With a nod towards two of the remaining DigiGnomes, the dragon 

regarded Leomon for a moment. "They will lead the way. There is a portal 

nearby that will carry you to within walking distance of her dwelling."

Turning to rush off, Leomon paused and looked back over his shoulder at the 

powerful Digmon that floated before him. He knew of the Sovereigns, and 

their reputation for not meddling in the affairs of others was renown. That 

knowledge, however, simply begged the question... "Why?"

It was only then, for the first time in countless hours, did Azulongmon 

actually smile as he gazed down at the warrior reborn. "Because no one-human 

or Digimon-should be forced to forfeit love for destiny. It is a bittersweet 

victory that none should every taste..." he said softly, fixing Leomon with 

a knowing gaze that could only come from one who had forfeited such 

happiness long ago.

Leomon stumbled backwards as he stared in shock at he powerful dragon. 

"You...know? How did...?" he stuttered, unable to believe that anyone-even a 

Sovereign-could understand what was in his heart when even the one the loved 

did not know.

"Does it truly matter how?" countered the Digimon.

During the quest to free Calumon, Azulongmon had watched the bond between 

humans and Digimon in action and saw there was more to Leomon and Jeri's 

than met the eye.

"But...I never told...".

"No, you did not. But now is your chance to correct that mistake. It has 

been said that the greatest victory can come not from weapons, but with the 

most simple of words. Do /you/ have the courage to take that risk Leomon?"

The lion looked away for a moment, emotions in a turmoil as he fought to 

refute the Sovereigns' words. But he knew that-truthfully-the way he felt 

now was no less than before he died. He loved Jeri, with all his heart and 

soul. Now he had second chance to put things right. But could he say the 

words this time when he failed so horribly the last? The powerful struggle 

went on until Leomon jerked his head back, glaring at the two DigiGnomes 

that were to be his guides.

"Take me to her."

Chattering, the two creatures took off for the eastern horizon with Leomon 

close behind. Minutes later, Leomon dove past the parting DigiGnomes and 

through the portal, at long last heading back to real world and a reunion 

with his Tamer.

A reunion that would change both lives forever.

As the lion's form vanished from sight, a hacking cough filled the air as 

Impmon, fully reformed, stumbled into view looking like something the cat 

would have refused to drag in.

"Impmon, are you all right...?" asked the dragon, glad to see the small 

Digimon survived as he had hoped.

"I've...been...better." coughed the rookie as he shot a glare up at the 

Sovereign. "And what's the point of zapping me like a Flymon!? I could'a 

been killed!"

The dragon settled down and filled Impmon in on what had happened and why he 

had attacked the smaller Digimon in the first place. As he listened, his 

anger slowly faded as it became clear that the Sovereign had little choice 

of his actions if Leomon was to be reborn. "So...let me get this 

straight..." he began, ticking off points of interest on his left hand. "You 

zapped me because you needed to separate Leomon's data from my own, and you 

knew that his life force was still around, buried in the ground. And all 

that worked together to bring Leomon back?"

Agreeing with his assessment of the situation, Azulongmon nodded.

"Then how did I get back in one piece? Not that I'm complaining mind ya...."

Torn between telling the truth about the DigiGnomes sacrifice and keeping 

Impmon from feeling guilty over the loss of life, the dragon chose the 

former.

"As I said before Impmon; the belief in your Tamers helped you survive. I 

just hope the same will work for Leomon...".

--------------

The cold ground she lay upon would have prompted anyone else to seek a 

warmer place to think. But to the despondent Jeri, the chill from her 

surroundings was nothing compared to the aching cold that seemed to fill her 

soul. For what felt like hours, the young woman had sat in front of the 

fountain, knees hugged to chest as the world passed by in front of her 

unseeing eyes. Several of the passerby's stopped to offer her assistance, 

but soon left upon getting no reaction from their repeated offers.

Now, as night fell, Jeri watched the moon and stars slowly appear one by 

one. In the past, their light had filled her with a sense of wonder at what 

could lay beyond the farthest point. But now, the once relaxing lights now 

simply reminded her how big the universe was and how alone she was in it.

----------

The harshness of the Digital World gave way to the mind-numbing mosaic of 

color as Leomon passed through the dimensional layers that separated his 

reality from that of his Tamer. With only a low growl of discomfort, the 

lion forced himself through the last few as the need to be with Jeri 

overwhelmed the stomach-churning trip. Without warning, the mix of light and 

shadow exploded into shades of green and brown, the scent of pine now 

hanging fragrantly in the air.

Slightly nauseated, the Digimon staggered to his feet, a rush of night air 

greeting him on his return to Earth. Taking a deep breath through his nose, 

Leomon savored the sweet scent of the real world as it was among the most 

wondrous things he had ever experienced.

A shiver down his spine interrupted his train of thought as the Digimon 

whirled around. **It's her...!** he thought, eyes narrowing as he searched 

the small clearing for a sign../any/ sign...that would lead him to his 

Tamer. Her scent was faint, but Leomon was sure that Jeri was in the park.

**But which /way/..?** snarled the lion to himself as he could not get 

enough of her scent to track. Upset by how close and yet how far he was from 

seeing the young woman he loved, Leomon's instincts got the better of him as 

his powerful claws raked across a tree trunk, nearly felling the unlucky 

pine. **She could be in one of a dozen different directions!**

It was then a simple memory from a lifetime ago surfaced, and Leomon prayed 

the solution would work. Knowing that he could not run rampant through the 

park risking conflict with the human peace keepers, the Digimon decided to 

do the next best thing.

If he couldn't go to Jeri, she could come to him!

Closing his eyes, Leomon took a deep breath to focus his thoughts. It was 

only then he called out with all his heart and soul.

"Jeri, I need you...".

-------------

Shizue sighed as she leaned against a tree as the darkening sky loomed 

overhead. She had searched half the park but there was still no sign of her 

wayward daughter. A call to her husband provided little reassurance as Jeri 

had not attempted to contact her dad either.

With a sigh, the woman looked at the small park map she had found discarded 

on a bench. Over a few of the locations listed a large red 'X' was drawn as 

she tried to eliminate the most probably places her daughter would be. But 

the park was so large the unmarked places outnumbered the others 3-to-1. As 

she studied that paper, it occurred to her to try searching from the large 

fountain set near the center of the park and work outwards from there.

Folding the map, Shizue pulled the light jacket around her tighter as the 

night air began to chill. With the best speed she could risk in the waning 

light, the woman took off for the fountain, praying that her luck would take 

a turn for the better.

---------

The soft chiming pulled Jeri from her dark thoughts as the young woman 

looked around for the source of the noise. It was with no small amount of 

surprise she discovered it was coming from her hip pouch. Hesitant at first, 

Jeri finally opened it and began to shuffle through the various objects 

trying to find...

"Oh...God..." she whispered as her slender fingers slid around what was 

making the noise. An object that had not worked-save for one brief second 

while trapped in the Kernel sphere of the D-Reaper-since the death of her 

partner. An object that was-when she last saw it-tucked safely in a box 

under her bed.

But it was clear the D-Arc was again functioning once more as the yellow 

device chimed in her hand, the arrow pointed insistently towards a path that 

lead deeper into the park.

It wasn't a bio-emergance point, or the readings would be wholly different 

than what was being displayed now; that much Jeri knew. What she didn't know 

is why the compass was active on the screen. According to Rika, that 

function was normally used to track....

A sharp gasp escaped her lips, her fingers now clutching the D-Arc in a vice 

grip so tight her knuckles were turning white. As she stared at the screen, 

a part of her minds' eye cried out to avoid the sliver of false hope that 

was building in her heart. It would only lead to more heartbreak and that 

was something she simply could not face once more.

But even deeper within her soul, the part of her that had never given up 

hope Leomon would someday come back to her cried out, begging that she try 

once more to believe in the power of her love for the Digimon and in the 

bond that completed them both.

The war within raged for several seconds before Jeri looked down the path, 

then at her D-Arc once more. With a deep breath and the last few shards of 

her hope, the Tamer took off over the terrain and down the trail, willing to 

try one last time to believe that things would be okay.

"Jeri!" Shizue called out, catching a glimpse of her daughter as she tore 

off into the woods. But whatever had Jeri's attention was so consuming the 

young woman didn't even hear her call. Without a moments hesitation, Shizue 

started down the same path as Jeri, determined to bring her home safe and 

sound.

The branches swiped at her face, the jagged points of some leaving pencil 

thin scrapes over Jeri's tender skin as she tore through the woods, the only 

light guiding her coming from her D-Arc. Yet, despite the fact she was alone 

in the woods at night, a warm, calming sensation began to drift down her 

spine as she approached what looked to be a small clearing ahead.

Emerging into the hidden glade, Jeri tried to find what-or /who/-that had 

activated her Digivice. Frowning, the cloud over the moon did little to help 

her search as she could /feel/ someone was close.

But she couldn't see /where/.

As the cloud finally drifted on, a single sliver of moonlight filtered it's 

way through the trees and lit up a small portion of the clearing. It was 

then she saw a hint of movement, and the young woman took a cautious step 

forward.

"H..hello..?"

Even such a simple word filled the Digimon with a sense of happiness as her 

voice became the sweetest thing he could had ever heard. Summoning his 

courage, the lion stepped out into full view and looked up on his Tamer for 

the first time in what was-quite literally-a lifetime.

"Hello Jeri."

As if hit by a powerful attack, Jeri simply froze in place as her head 

slowly turned towards the direction the voice had come from.

A voice that should not.../could not/...exist anymore.

"L..Leo..Leomon...?" whispered the young woman as her Digivice slipped from 

her grasp and landed in the soft, dew covered grass. Her entire body numbed 

at the sight of the long-dead Digimon that now stood before her.

With a soft nod, the Digimon took another step forward. "It is me Jeri." he 

reassured her, trying to avoid frightening her at all costs. Despite the 

fact the youth before him was dressed so very different than before, the 

beauty of the Jeri he knew was more than present in the one that stood a 

dozen feet away; in fact, her beauty had only grown more so in his absence.

Jeri stared at the Digimon for a long moment before she sank to her knees, 

the wet grass staining her jeans. As her hands covered her ears, she began 

to rock back and forth. "No..no..NO! It can't be! You're not here! You're 

not real...!" she screamed, chanting those same words over and over like a 

mantra.

Feeling his heart break, Leomon took a step forward, shocked by the despair 

in Jeri's voice. Had he been gone that long? A moment passed before the 

Digimon could take no more and he rushed over, falling to his knees, taking 

the young woman gently by the shoulders. "Jeri! Listen to me please!" he 

pleaded..."I am real! I came back..!"

"No! You're a phantom, sent to torment me! Leomon is dead!"

"Jeri, please, look at me! I am flesh and data! I came back because of you!" 

he yelled, clutching her close as he tried to reach the lionhearted girl he 

knew so well. Gingerly he picked up the discarded D-Arc and pressed it into 

her hands, hoping his touch would help her see the truth.

Something about his words struck a cord in Jeri as her eyes opened and she 

fixated the Digimon with a sorrowful stare. "You...came back...because of 

me...?"

Grateful that she was at last responding to him, Leomon pressed his 

advantage. "I had to Jeri. There was something important...something I have 

to do...".

It then became clear to Jeri why Leomon had truly returned. "I...know...why 

you're here Leomon. I guess..I always felt you would come back..." she 

whispered, pausing to accept her fate. "I knew you'd come back to punish me 

for my thoughts....".

Leomon blinked, startled by the words. "Punish you...?" he repeated 

slowly..."Why would you think that...?"

Jeri looked at her friend with a sad smile. "You don't have to make it easy 

on me Leomon. I know the dreams I had were wrong, and that I should be 

punished for them. I tried to punish myself, but it wasn't enough because 

I...I still kept dreaming about you...".

The young woman looked away, wishing she had never learned how wonderful 

certain touches felt upon her body. It was the night after her birthday 

party when she had called out Leomon's name while exploring her changing 

body, and since then the teen had hated herself for it. Even punishing 

herself with painful touches never was enough to stop the memory of that 

first dream of Leomon making love to her.

Now he had come back to punish her for being so arrogant thinking he would 

ever love someone like her.

Leomon watched as the will seemed to slip out from Jeri's body, the Tamer 

meekly accepting her imagined fate. He felt his own heart break as her 

spirit seemed to fade right before his eyes. It was then something she said 

struck him at his core.

"Jeri...?" he prompted, gently lifting the sad face up to meet his own. 

"Why...what did you dream about that you are being punished for?"

Looking away, the young woman shook her head. "It doesn't matter."

"Yes, it does Jeri. Please..tell me!" the lion begged.

Shaking her head, Jeri tried to pull away so as to not insult her friend 

with her horrible fantasy.

"Tell me!" the Digimon commanded, his voice slipping into anger as his grasp 

upon her shoulders tightened.

With a flash of rage, Jeri suddenly glared at Leomon. "Fine! I dreamed that 

you loved me! There! Are you happy!?" she yelled, struggling in vain against 

the lion's strength. "Are you happy to know my silly, stupid dream!? That I 

actually thought that anyone as wonderful as you could love something as 

worthless as me!? Are you!?"

Leomon held the enraged young woman close as her anger slowly fade into 

broken sobs, her head leaning against his chest. "I loved you Leomon, and I 

still do even knowing I'm not worthy of it...". she whimpered, the tears 

still flowing down her soft cheeks.

"Don't say that Jeri...don't /ever/ think you aren't worthy of being loved!"

Shaking her head Jeri, brushed off her friends' kind words. "Who is going to 

love something as worthless as I am!? I can't even be a good Tamer when my 

partner needs me the most!"

Eyes narrowing, Leomon pulled Jeri back up into a sitting position, refusing 

to let her look away. "First off, you are some/one/ special Jeri! Never 

consider yourself otherwise! And...and as for who would love you..."

The lion paused as Azulongmon's words drifted back across his memory, 

reminding him of this second chance to tell Jeri how he truly felt. But now, 

upon hearing her soul cry out for love, his mission to tell her took on more 

meaning than ever intended. Leomon summoned all his courage, looking at his 

Tamer with the eyes of one who was about to bare his soul. "Jeri..I...I need 

you to know that I...I love...you."

"No, you...you can't. I'm not...you're just saying..." she began to say, but 

was cut off by Leomon's words.

"I came back to tell you because I lacked the courage before. Please, 

believe me now when I say this Jeri; I...love...you" and with that he leaned 

forward, kissing her with all the passion he possessed.

Eyes widening, Jeri tried to resist at first, believing that Leomon was 

doing this simply for her benefit. As she tried to pull away, Leomon 

deepened his kiss, stirring the memories of her most private of dreams. As 

they washed over her, the sadness that had plagued her for so long started 

to fade until...at long last...she returned his kiss with honest passion as 

her greatest wish finally came true.

Leomon loved her.

---------

Shizue stared in shock as what had been an argument of wills quickly became 

a contest of passion as her daughter and her Digimon easily slid into a 

lovers embrace, a place the woman knew well from the experiences of her 

youth.

A part of Shizue's soul cried out for her to stop this /now/, before Jeri 

made a mistake that would haunt her forever. But another part-the one that 

been a woman long before she became a mother- told her to deny the girl a 

chance to heal a broken heart would truly make her into the monster Jeri saw 

her as.

A moan of passion from her child broke into Shizue's thoughts, making it 

clear that tonight was a time for Leomon and Jeri to explore together 

without her interference. There would be time to heal the bridges between 

mother and daughter later. For now, Jeri's happiness was the most important 

thing; and in that regard she could do nothing but be there when the time 

was right.

With a stealth born of love, Shizue slowly backed away from the clearing and 

along the path, only using the small flashlight she had picked up from a 

street vendor when she felt far enough away to risk it without the pair 

spotting the beam. Exiting the path back near the fountain, the woman paused 

to take a final look, knowing that come the morning her little girl would be 

no more; in her place would be a young woman well versed in the art of love.

But for Jeri's heart, mind, and soul to be at peace, it was a cost she must 

be willing to pay. The miracle she prayed for had been granted, now she just 

had to have faith.

--------

It was only with great reluctance that Leomon finally pulled his lips from 

Jeri's, her scent started to stir feelings within him that were better left 

alone. Nuzzling her for a few seconds longer, the lion gently pushed her 

away.

Her eyes opened in worry. "Leomon...you...I didn't ...do good, did I?"

"You were wonderful Jeri, but we... if we are not...careful... things 

that...should not happen....will."

She sat there, confused for a moment before noticing Leomon's physical 

reaction to her kiss and a deep blush filled her cheeks. "I...did...that?" 

she asked, not believing what she saw beneath the lion's tented front. With 

a hesitant touch, Jeri's fingers glided over the strained fabric eliciting a 

sharp gasp from her partner.

Torn between wanting the sensations to continue and keeping Jeri's honor 

intact, Leomon scraped together enough willpower to ease her fingers away 

from him and to her side, much to the young woman's' disappointment.

Seeing the look on her face, Leomon tried to explain. "Jeri, it's just that 

there are some things, once done, that can not be undone. I do not want you 

to look back, regretting that you gave up...yourself....before it was time. 

I am willing to wait; all you have to do is ask."

The young woman pondered his words for a moment, gently resting her body 

against his while listening to the rhythmic beating of his heart. "Leomon, 

I...there are things you probably don't know; things that have were taken 

from me. But...that...is still mine and it is my choice to give it to who I 

want...." It was then her hands wondered to his, the slender fingers 

wrapping around them. "...and I want to give it to you Leomon."

The lion felt his eyes widen as Jeri watched him, awaiting an answer. 

Hesitantly, he looked away, trying to balance his own desires against what 

was best for his Tamer. It was only after long moments was he finally able 

to meet her gaze again. "Jeri...please..are you /sure/ about this..."?

The young woman said nothing as she stood. Crossing her arms, Jeri tugged up 

on the tail of the shirt as the garment drifted up and over her head before 

being discarded on the ground by her feet. Soon her shoes were next to leave 

her body, followed closely by the jeans.

Leomon watched as Jeri's clothing fell by the wayside, leaving her clad only 

in a soft white training bra and matching cotton panties. Soon those last 

two items were but a memory as Leomon became the first to ever see the teen 

in her most private of ways.

"Yes..." came the soft reply to his earlier query as her flushed skin 

shimmered in the moonlight.

Standing, the Digimon watched her for a moment, taking in the sight before 

him. While no stranger to intimate relations with female Digimon, the 

simplicity of Jeri's human body aroused the lion like none before. With a 

single step, he covered the distance between them and without a seconds 

hesitation, pulled her into a powerful embrace

The chill of the night air was no match for the warmth of Leomon as Jeri 

snuggled into her partner's fur. Savoring his feather-light touch, the Tamer 

whimpered as the lion's hands began to caress her back. Looking up into his 

eyes, Jeri saw the desire she was creating and knew that he wanted her as 

much as she needed him. Standing on tiptoes, the young woman again pressed 

her lips to his, kissing the lion with all the passion she could gather.

The power of the kiss took the Digimon by surprise, but he quickly recovered 

and matched her motions. As his hands cupped her bottom, he pulled her 

tightly against his form, caressing the soft skin as he growled deeply at 

the feel of her body next to his.

A soft whimper escaped Jeri's lips as Leomon's caresses shot quivers of 

desire straight to her center. But as wonderful as such touches were, Jeri's 

body craved something more intimate.

Leomon blinked as one hand was gently guided from Jeri's bottom to her 

front. An even greater surprise befell the Digimon as that same hand came to 

stop at the intimate folds that rested between the young woman's legs.

Jeri's whimper filled the air as her lover caressed her womanhood for the 

first time. The sensation forced her to grasp tightly at Leomon's shoulders, 

her buckling at the overwhelming sensations. In ecstasy, the young Tamer 

whimpered into the lion's chest as his caresses explored each and every 

spot, leaving no place untouched.

From deep within Leomon, a growl of desire rumbled as her musky scent urged 

the lion on to more intimate caresses.

"OH!" she cried out as Leomon's explorations of her body sent her to new 

levels of desire. Her body responded naturally to her lovers' touch, her 

womanhood dampening more with every passing second. She began to thrust back 

against the Digimon's caresses, her growing instincts guiding her along the 

path to womanhood.

For what felt like an eternity the two stay locked in that intimate embrace, 

Leomon's gentle caresses up into her body was countered by Jeri's downward 

motions. Deep within the overwhelmed Tamer, the slow build to orgasm 

continued as she edged towards her first climax.

But Jeri wanted...needed...more than just those wonderful caresses.

"L.eo...Leomon...?"

Looking down at the young woman, he nodded, listening to her every word.

"Please...I...I want you...I need you to.. ."

"To what, Jeri?" he asked with all seriousness knowing that this first time 

would never come again.

"Leomon...please..." she began, only pausing as a wave of anticipation 

flowed through her body. Summoning all her will, the young woman looked at 

her partner and kissed him deeply, whispering softly when she finally pulled 

away..."..make love to me."

Leomon closed his eyes, his mind racing as her most intimate of requests 

reached his ears. The lion knew that her desire was sincere; the look upon 

her face said that much. But to actually be asked to take her most treasured 

of gifts-that was beyond anything he could have wished.

"It would be my privilege and my honor, my lady..." whispered the Digimon as 

his free hand caressed her bottom once more before moving to his belt. But 

to his surprise it was Jeri's delicate hands that undid the buckle first.

Slowing the rate of his caresses, Leomon watched as Jeri fumbled with the 

other fastenings on his pants for long moments before the final clasp 

unlocked and coverings slid to the earth.

The young woman gasped as she saw Leomon /there/ for the first time. He was 

larger than she would have ever guessed, and for a moment a hint of fear 

filled her. But even as she felt herself being pulled to the ground, that 

fear passed as the look on the lion's face made it clear he would treat her 

with the utmost respect.

On instinct, her legs parted as the tip of Leomon's erection pressed against 

her virgin opening. As his eyes sparkled with the unspoken request, Jeri 

placed her hands on Leomon's chest for support. With a simple nod her 

friendship...her life..with Leomon changed forever.

A cry filled the night sky as Leomon plunged deep into Jeri's tight 

womanhood, taking the last of her innocence. **I never...never realized...** 

she thought to herself the mix of pain and pleasure began to overwhelm her 

conscious mind, leaving her with only basic instincts to fall back on. 

Ignoring the fading pain and relishing the growing pleasure, the young woman 

began to rock up and down upon her lover guiding Leomon towards the release 

they both needed to desperately.

A growl of desire escaped Leomon's throat as he thrust up into Jeri's body, 

each time the young woman gasping in pleasure. With hands upon her hips, the 

Digimon found a powerful rhythm and soon his Tamer joined him in a perfectly 

matched union. The minutes passed like hours as the two lovers rocked 

against the other, the powerful thrusts continued until Jeri's body, 

overwhelmed with desire, erupted in climax. There were no words to described 

the blinding sensation of pure ecstasy as Leomon shot deep into her waiting 

body, the warm liquid splashing through her tender folds to her very core.

The Digimon was beyond the edge of passion as each spasm sent another surge 

of release into his Tamer...his lover. As her hands clutched at his 

shoulders, Leomon rode out the moment as at long last he had said-and 

showed-the young woman the depth of his love.

At long last Jeri's climax began to subside, leaving the woman stretched to 

the point of exhaustion. Collapsing onto Leomon's chest, her lips sought out 

his and with a final powerful kiss, she sealed the night away with her most 

treasured of memories. With a trembling hand she caressed his cheek.

"I love you Leomon....".

Surrounding her with a protective embrace, the Digimon could do little other 

than agree with her by clutching her close until the drained young woman 

wearily fell asleep. Leomon soon followed his lover, and for the first time 

in many long months the young woman was at finally at peace with herself and 

the world.

There would be trials to face; that much was certain. But with Leomon by her 

side, Jeri could face the world once more, this time armed with a power even 

greater than her D-Arc.

The greatest power of them all.

The power of love.

But unknown and unseen to both human and Digimon, another power was to be at 

their beck and call as bands of blue and red energy swirled out from their 

joined bodies. Crisscrossing the lovers before finally fading from view, the 

final gift from the DigiGnomes lay in wait for the time when it would be 

needed the most.

--------

"Impmon!" cheered Ai and Mako as the two spotted the Digimon coming in 

through the back door. With a burst of speed, the two kids nearly leaped 

from their seats and buried the purple Digimon under a pile of hugs, each 

forsaking their breakfast.

"Did you get your medal!?"

"Can we see it??"

"Was there a parade?"

"I bet there were fireworks!"

"Hey now, one at a time!" laughed the purple Digimon as he scooted them off 

to one side and stood up, grinning all the while. "And yea, I did get a 

medal, but the thing was /this/ big!" he fibbed, indicating it was as large 

as a basketball. "I told 'em that I couldn't wear that thing so that's why I 

can't show it to ya cause it was too big to bring back with me..." explained 

Impmon as he hoped that would cover his lack of anything to show his Tamers.

"That's not fair!" frowned Mako as it seemed that grown-ups were always 

doing silly stuff like that and now he couldn't see Impmon's reward for 

being so brave because of it.

"Woah, no long faces there chief!" as the Digimon ruffled the boy's hair. "I 

did get a parade and boy was it sweet! Clowns and everything!" exclaimed 

Impmon, adding to the tale like only he could.

"Were there fireworks Impmon?" asked Ai, who was just as excited as her 

littler brother, but a bit better at keeping her glee contained.

Mother watched the conversation, blinking as the Digimon took on a somber 

expression for a long moment as Ai's question was repeated. While clear that 

whatever Impmon had faced in the Digital World was something he couldn't 

share with the children, it was obvious that whatever had happened left him 

changed. There was something in his eyes that sparkled brightly, as if some 

great weight had finally been lifted from his soul.

A sly grin finally tugged at the corner of Impmon's mouth as he nodded 

towards the young girl. "Oh yea, there were fireworks...".

Now it was Ai's turn to frown at having missed something she really liked to 

watch.

"Don't feel bad kiddo! Remember, I missed your Grandma's birthday party. So 

tell me everything that happened!" he asked, trying to steer conversation 

away from him and back to the kids.

Sitting down indian style in the floor, the pair began to regale Impmon with 

fascinating stories of the birthday party and, of course, how sick Mako had 

gotten from eating three bowls of ice cream! But as the Digimon listened, a 

simple feeling of happiness washed over him. Redeemed for his past crimes, 

Impmon finally felt he could face the future with an open heart and enjoy 

whatever was yet to come.

He would have to face Leomon eventually; that much was certain. But for now 

he was content to let the lion and Jeri have their time together knowing 

each moment shared healed the young girl's long-tormented soul.

Nodding his head at something Ai had mentioned, Impmon let his attention 

wonder back to the tall tales his Tamers were spinning, enjoying this simple 

moment more than anything he could ever remember.

Of course, he would never tell anyone /that/ either.

------------

The warm sun, combined with Leomon's gentle caresses along her back, stirred 

the young woman awake as she looked into the most beautiful eyes she had 

ever seen. Blushing slightly as Leomon had still not left her body, Jeri 

kissed her lover's lips snuggling against his soft fur.

"Good morning..." whispered the Digimon as he noticed her tinted cheeks.

A soft giggle was her reply as her lips kissed his chest in a few random 

places, causing the lion to purr ever-so-slightly.

Of course, this amused the Tamer to no end. "Just like a big pussycat..." 

she teased, keeping up the light kisses as her hips pressed down against the 

base of his morning erection. A growl escaped Leomon's chest as woman 

caressed her lover in a most intimate way.

"Jeri..." he playfully tried to warn her.. "I am not as young as I used to 

be and last night was a bit more than I was ready for..." he offered as both 

explanation and apology. "I need to regain my energy first...".

Somehow the young woman managed a playfully pouting look, one someone her 

age and lack of sexual experience shouldn't have been able to muster. But 

the reflexive thrust of Leomon up into her body was a clear indication that 

while the spirit was weak, the flesh was more than willing.

Like many other great moments of inspiration born out of necessity, Jeri 

gave her bewildered partner a knowing smirk as she raised up and arched 

backwards, fingertips gliding over her previously abandoned D-Arc and hip 

pouch. As she leaned forward once more, the small yellow Digivice and a 

half-dozen Modify Cards now filled her hands. She ignored the look of 

curiosity Leomon now wore, focusing on finding the perfect card. Giggling, 

she gave him a quick once-over but decided that-at least for now-using 

Training Grips on the Digimon was a /bit/ more than she was ready for. Then 

she noticed the final card in her hand and gingerly placed the others off to 

one side.

"Jeri...?" asked the worried Digimon, whatever she was planning he still had 

no clue.

The human simply grinned as D-Arc and card met for only the second time in 

their existence. "Digi-Modify!" she quietly called out, the edge of the card 

easily gliding through the slot in the reader. "Energy Boost activate!"

With a barely contained roar, Leomon's hands dug deep into the soft earth as 

a wave of energy slammed into his body, shuddering him from head to tail. 

Growling as the power filled him, the Digimon knew /exactly/ what to do with 

it. Grabbing Jeri by her sides, Leomon thrust up into her as he used the 

loaned power for something /much/ more interesting that battle. He smiled as 

the young woman cried out in ecstasy.

Jeri's last coherent thought was to get with Kazu and Kenta and trade what 

cards she could spare for more energy boost modifiers.

She was going to need them.

--------

Hours later, the pair stood at the back door to her home, both having 

finally recovered from their second exhausting bout of passion. It was 

clear, however, that one of the pair wasn't looking forward to going inside.

And it wasn't Leomon.

"What if she doesn't forgive me Leomon?" quietly asked Jeri as she grasped 

his hand tighter. "After the things I said..." she started, but her voice 

trailed off, the memory of yesterday's fight still fresh in her mind. It had 

taken everything to come this far and that was mostly due to the fact that 

Leomon was there. The Digimon had seen the worry in her eyes after they 

finished making love and his gently prompting finally got her to reveal why 

she was so scared to return home

It was then her shoulder was held in a reassuring grasp. "Jeri, you mother 

loves you. She always will; that is what makes them so special."

Nodding, Jeri tried to ignore the feeling of shame that started to fill her 

spirit. "She is special. Even after what I said, all my mom wanted to do was 

help me feel better. What kind of person am I to hate someone like that? How 

can I possibly tell her how sorry I am?"

With a sudden smile, the Digimon leaned down. "I think you just did Jeri." 

he said softly as he spun her gently around to face her mother, who's 

shocked expression helped Jeri to realize what she had just said.

The Tamer had called her 'mom', and it actually felt /good/.

The two stood there for a long moment, each eyeing the other until Jeri ran 

forward and embraced her mother with an all-consuming hug, the tears 

streaming down her face as they carried all the apology she needed to give.

Shizue held her daughter close, rocking back and forth with the young woman 

as at long last her family was complete. With a quiet 'thank you' towards 

the Digimon, she kissed her daughter on the forehead and guided her inside.

There was so much to catch up on.

"So you came back."

Leomon's step to follow his Tamer inside faltered as a gruff voice behind 

him forced the Digimon to pause and look back.

Tadashi stood there, arms folded, as he looked at the Digimon. "I thought 

you were dead." he said in a voice that did little to hide his displeasure 

of this moment.

Bristling, Leomon didn't say what he wanted to say out of respect for Jeri, 

instead opting for something bordering on polite.

"I got better."

"So you think you can waltz back into her life after all this time?"

"I already have, and it was more of a shuffle than a waltz.." snapped back 

the Digimon, not liking the attitude this human was taking with him. He had 

been honorable before and respected this humans' rule over his house and 

daughter, but this time would be /very/ different.

Ignoring the remark, Tadashi narrowed his eyes. "I see you still lack 

knowing when to show respect ..." the man taunted, still furious at the lion 

for assuming he knew Jeri's destiny better than her own father.

"When I'm with someone who deserves that courtesy, I will let you know."

"You are not welcomed in my home Leomon."

"That is for my Tamer to decide. Not you."

"If you truly respected her, you'd let her live her life."

"She is /Sir/..." growled the lion. "Her life is with me by her side."

"And when you die again, what kind of life will she have then? More 

heartache and suffering, crying herself to sleep at night for weeks on end? 

Is that the only kind of life you and your kind offers?"

"I will not let that happen again. I swear it!" growled the Digimon as he 

fixed the human with a hard gaze.

"See that you don't. If you do, I'll make the D-Reaper look like a school 

yard bully. Am I clear?" Tadashi coolly warned.

Even thought he had no clue as to what a D-Reaper was, the context of the 

thinly veiled threat was easily seen. Not trusting his voice, the Digimon 

simply nodded as the two males squared off against the other, both wanting 

to protect the young woman that meant so much to them.

The standoff was interrupted by Jeri and she burst out the door and up into 

her father's arms, kissing him on the cheek. Stunned by the return of his 

daughter's impish side, Tadashi let the matter with Leomon drop and turned 

his full attention to her. "Jeri! Don't you ever run off like that again! 

Your mother was worried sick!" he admonished, leaving out the fact he had 

been the one pacing around the living room last night with her picture 

clutched firmly in hand.

Nodding, the girl looked away sadly for a moment. "I know dad..." she 

admitted before giving him another hug. "But mom and I talked and we both 

understand things better now...".

The human blinked as Jeri's casual use of the word 'mom' made it clear that 

something had happened in the past few hours to help his daughter come to 

terms with this extended family and become happy once more. But was this 

disrespectful Digimon the cause of her newfound joy?

Pulling away, Jeri went to Leomon's side and leaned against him, answering 

her father's unspoken query. Clearly this Digimon meant a lot to her still, 

and to deny him access to the house..and her life...would tear the family 

apart once again. But no matter what, he would protect his little girl for a 

long as he could. She was not yet a woman, and he would do whatever it took 

to keep her from growing up and facing a world she was not ready for.

Jeri's voice pulled him from his thoughts and he found himself nodding in 

agreement with something that he had no idea what it was. With a forced grin 

he watched his daughter practically tug the Digimon's arm off to lead him 

inside.

"Thank you for letting me stay for lunch Sir..." said Leomon with more than 

a hint of smugness in his voice. It was clear the Digimon considered this a 

small victory in their newfound conflict.

Letting the battle fall by the wayside for now, Tadashi followed the pair 

inside, determined to keep an eye on the Digimon for a very long time.

The stars in the nighttime sky twinkled as the clear night allowed for a 

near-perfect view of the sparkling tapestry. Tamer and Digimon rested on the 

roof, safely hidden from the world below.

Her parents were downstairs tending the bar, having gave their daughter the 

night off to help Leomon could catch up on what the Digimon had missed.

"I can't believe so much happened while I was..." he began, only just 

catching himself as he didn't want to bring up his absence any more in front 

of Jeri.

"Away...?" suggested the young woman as she snuggled against partner.

Leomon simply nodded as he held her close. "I'm sorry Jeri. I just...after 

all that's happened to you, I don't want the past to hurt you any more."

A gentle kiss on his cheek pulled the Digimon lips into a smile as Jeri ran 

her fingers through his soft fur, torn between the handsome lion and the 

beautiful night sky. Settling for the former, the young woman let her lips 

cross his for but a moment before pulling away. "The past won't hurt me 

anymore Leomon; not with you here."

"I will protect you Jeri, with all that I am. No matter what the future 

holds, I swear to be there by your side."

"I know you will Leomon. I know...." she said, her voice trailing off as her 

lips lingered against his much longer this time, the two now kissing 

passionately under the glorious sky.

Neither knew what the tomorrow's uncertain frontier would bring; but it 

simply no longer mattered. Jeri knew that if she had faith in herself and 

trust in her other,  they would tame that uncertain future.

Together forever,  united as one.

Fin