*** Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon, and right now I'm not feeling witty enough to come up with a sarcastic comment otherwise. This tale has been a long time in the making, and it's still far from finished. There will be sequels...I just can't tell you how long it'll take to get them out, because even I don't know. Yes, this does start out as a gooshy romance fic, but it'll get interesting. I've left a cliffhanger dangling at the end, just so you'll keep reading, muahaha! Oh, and this tale does have some "lime" content (or, as I told Shimmercat, "kumquat" content), so you've been warned. By the way, I suck at transitions. o.o ***

For nearly five hours, I was stuck waiting in the crowded lobby of JFK International Airport, all because the next incoming plane from Japan was late getting in. I couldn't get much more information from the Indian woman sitting behind the inquiry desk other than word of a flight delay in Japan. So, I made the most of my time, trying not to seem as anxious as I really was. After all, what was a five-hour wait when I had an entire week of him, all to myself? I suppose it wouldn't have been so bad if JFK actually had some decent seating arrangements while I waited. And less people. Definitely less people.

When the plane finally did land, it did so at the same time as two other flights -- one from Italy and one from Scotland. I found myself surrounded by fashion-plates in Italian leather and a gaggle of pale-haired families, all speaking with strange accents, not to mention the families meeting their loved-ones from Japan. I knew it would be tough to find the one I was waiting for, so I decided I'd let him come to me. I stayed at the back of the crowd, away from the pushy lovers and the crying children, knowing that he would have no trouble distinguishing me from the rest. Pink hair does have its advantages sometimes.

Finally, as the crowds began to taper off from the latest influx of people, I spotted him as he struggled under the weight of two suitcases -- he'd overpacked, as usual. His eyes were slightly ringed beneath his glasses, but other than that, he was still the same handsome young man I'd left behind in Japan two years ago. If anything, he'd grown more handsome -- with his bluish-black hair falling to his chin and the soft beginnings of a shadow along his chin from where he hadn't shaved for over twelve hours. I couldn't wave to him, not at first; I wanted to enjoy the sight of him, lanky, wide-eyed, and a little frazzled -- he was still the same old reliable Joe Kido.

He dropped a bag with a relieved sigh, pushed his loose glasses up, and looked around. Upon spotting me, he grinned and waved, and that's when I realized I was staring. I jumped a little as I was brought back to reality, and I waved back as I wove through a large Italian family that had just been reunited.

"Mimi! Long time no see," he said, putting his hands in his pockets and slouching casually. He was wearing a sports coat and slacks, and he looked too handsome for words. Words I'd have to keep silent for now.

I paused in front of him, putting my hands on my hips. "Well, are you going to give me a hug or not, Joe?" We spoke in familiar Japanese, though we'd likely be conversing in English soon enough.

Joe chuckled and wrapped his arms around me. Even in my large-heeled shoes, the latest Fifth Avenue fashion, my chin just barely rested on his shoulder. He was warm, and even though he'd been on a terrible flight, he still smelled wonderful -- with a faint undertone of my favorite Japanese shampoo clinging to his hair. It reminded me of the home I'd left behind.

I was the one that pulled away first. I didn't want to seem desperate, although it was nice to hold him. "So," I asked, hoping my voice didn't betray me, "how was the flight?"

Joe groaned, his dark eyes rolling back in his head. "Terrible. I thought we were doomed from the start. We were late taking off because some woman had a panic attack. Scared of flying, or something. The plane went all the way back from the runway to let her off...By the time she was carried off, we had to wait to take off."

I raised my brows. "Like having to go all the way back to the end of the line?" As I said it, I knew I sounded dumb. I sighed inwardly.

Joe didn't take notice, however. "Exactly!" he said, picking up his bags. "And I thought I was a hypochondriac." He gave me a wry and somewhat embarrassed grin.

I reached over to take the smaller of the two bags from his hand, letting my fingers graze across his. His hands were slender and precise, already showing the results of his schooling to become a doctor. It was hard to believe he was the same awkward, gangly kid I met five years ago. He gave me a curious look before letting me take his bag, which nearly toppled me over from its weight.

"My goodness, Joe, what do you have in here? Bricks?" I gasped as I hefted the bag in two hands.

He chuckled softly and shook his head. "A few necessities." He paused, then admitted, "Okay, a lot of necessities. And some gifts from back home. When I told the others I'd be flying over, they all wanted to send something along with me to give to you." He tried to reach over and take the bag from me, but I refused, even if I was straining to keep it from falling to the ground.

I turned to look at him as we walked out to the car. "Oh? Like what?"

Joe just shook his head. "It's a surprise," he replied cryptically, and grinned.

We cut through the parking lot, and I gladly dropped Joe's fifty-ton bag next to the car before I opened the trunk. My car, like nearly everything else of mine, was pink, a custom-design my father bought me for my sixteenth birthday. We loaded his bags into the trunk, and as we got into the car, I turned to him and smiled, "Put on your seatbelt and hold on."

Joe barely had time to blink before I peeled out with a squeal of tires and a ruffling of annoyed onlookers. To his credit, he didn't make a noise, instead just gripping his fingers tightly against the seat and held on. I zipped through the parking lot and pulled up short at the payment gate to the parking lot.

As the attendee counted out my change, Joe turned to me to murmur, "Um, Mimi? Do you think you could maybe ... drive a little slower? It's been years since I've been carsick, and I'd hate to have a relapse." He chuckled nervously.

"I understand where you're coming from, Joe," I replied as I got my change and pulled away slowly. "But you're in America now!" I floored the pedal, and once again Joe's fingers dug into the seat cushions. I laughed as we tore onto the highway; I couldn't bend just because he couldn't take a bit of speed. That would show him more than I really wanted to let on for now.

We took to the fast lane as we headed towards the city. Joe kept his eyes closed for half the trip, still clinging tightly to the seat. It was partly the speed, and partly the unfamiliarity with driving on the right-hand side of the road that threw him. But he continued to chat with me, nonetheless, as he tried to keep his mind off the road.

"So," I asked, "how is the gang back in Odaiba?"

Joe shrugged easily. "Doing fine, I guess. I don't get to see everyone as often as I'd like because I'm so busy with school. But Izzy and I still get together every weekend to talk and discuss some new theories that he's unearthed. He's decided not to study for the tests to get into high school, and quite frankly, I don't think he needs to. The kid's too smart for his own good sometimes. Tai and Sora continue to deny any feelings they have for each other, and Sora's taken up with some jerk who doesn't appreciate her. She keeps thinking he'll change, when she's really just trying to distract herself from Tai."

"Hrm," I said, musing on the situation. "Sora always did sacrifice more of herself to benefit other people."

"I agree," replied Joe, continuing on with his updates of the remainder of the Digidestined. "Matt and his band are something of a local phenomena in Odaiba. I think they'll make it big if they keep on trying. T.K. and Kari are still enjoying being young. They don't have the pressures of high school and exams quite yet." He grinned.

I nodded, chuckling a little, and asked, "No sign of another gateway to the Digital World, is there?"

At that, Joe sobered some and was quiet for some long moments before he finally replied, "No, unfortunately. Izzy always spends at least an hour a day, sometimes more, searching still. But, somehow, I don't think another gate's going to open. Not in our lifetime."

I tried to laugh it off, but his words struck a chord with me. We'd been through so much together, and it hurt to think that we'd never have another adventure in the Digital World, never get to see our Digimon friends again. I thought of Palmon out there all alone in the wilderness, and it made me a little teary.

Joe reached over and put a slender hand on my shoulder. "Hey, Mimi, it's alright. We're all strong enough to face being apart," he said quietly. "Besides, you might want to save the tears for when we're not going -- um, how fast are we going, incidentally?"

I sniffled a little, but laughed all the same. Shaking my head, I said to him, "You don't want to know," and off we sped towards the city.

*******

Once we got back to the apartment, we talked for an hour or so, just catching up on old times still, until Joe decided it was time for him to take a nap. He was still on Japanese time, so I showed him to the spare room. He flopped out on the bed, practically asleep before his head hit the pillow.

I lingered in the doorway, watching for a few moments, when I realized he'd left his glasses on. I tiptoed to the edge of the bed and gently took them off, setting them atop the bedstand. How different he looked without his glasses -- his eyes looked larger and his face looked much thinner. Not that it was a bad look, but it just didn't seem like Joe.

Before I walked away, though, I couldn't help but run my fingers through his chin-length, blue-black hair just once. Through a haze of sleep, Joe smiled and gave a soft sigh of contentment. As I pulled away, I let my fingers trail across his cheek. I must have been blushing terribly; thankfully, Joe didn't notice.

'He's here,' I thought. 'He's really here. Now, how can I keep from having to let him go again?'

"Sleep well, Jyou Kido," I whispered, and crept out of the room.

*******

Joe slept through the remainder of the day and throughout most of the night. I didn't bother to wake him, figuring he was definitely in need of the rest after his flight. When I woke up myself the next morning, I found him in the living room, sitting uncomfortably on the edge of the couch and watching television. He was dressed meticulously, as usual, whereas I was still in my pajamas with my hair unbrushed.

When he saw me enter the room, he flicked off the television, which had been droning quietly in the background, and stood up quickly. "Good morning, Mimi. Sleep alright?" he asked, smiling in a half-embarrassed way.

I yawned, never being much of a morning person, as Joe could have attested to from our adventures in the Digital World. "Slept fine," I murmured, rubbing at my eyes with a hand. "How long have you been awake?"

"A few hours. Man, I really passed out yesterday, didn't I?" He laughed a little.

I gave Joe a fuzzy sort of grin and nodded. "That's alright. You'll be well-rested for today."

"What are we going to do today?"

"First... Coffee. After I'm dressed, of course."

Joe gave me a wry smile that I couldn't help but think was insufferably cute. If only... His hands still jammed into the pockets of his slacks, he remarked, "You never were much of a morning person, Mimi."

I chuckled somewhat, because what he was saying was all too true. "Some things never change. Of course, not everything is something I want to change."

"You've definitely changed from when I first met you. I think given that improvement, you're allowed to hold onto a few vices."

"When you first met me, I wasn't nearly as charming as I am now," I replied with a grin.

Joe smiled and nodded. "Remember when you threw Tai and me into the Geckomon's dungeon? I didn't think that was all that charming."

My smile faded as he mentioned this -- it was a memory I'd been trying to forget from the shame of it. "Well," I retorted, "I seem to remember you being just as whiny if not worse than me. Always going on about your allergies and how scared you were of everything around us." Then, because I didn't want to stay annoyed with Joe, my voice softened as I added, "How have your allergies been lately, anyway? Improved any?"

Joe, whose own smile had dissolved as I spoke, grinned anew, a bright sparkle in his black eyes. "Ah, the power of prescription medicine. I barely notice them these days. Which is good because, well, you have a cat. I don't think I have to say much more."

I chuckled once before stretching and taking note of the time. "Oh, I guess I should get dressed so we could actually go out sometime today."

Joe grinned and gave my shoulder a soft nudge. "Don't take too long, okay? I'm hungry."

I nodded and went to my room to get dressed for the day, and once I was out of sight of Joe, I let my fingers trail across my shoulder where he'd touched me.

*******

Joe stared for some time at the bagel with cream cheese that he bought at the coffeeshop before even attempting to taste it. I watched him with mild amusement as he poked with a scientist's precision at his first taste of American food.

"So Americans eat like this every day?" he asked, dubiously.

"You don't like it, do you?" I asked, chuckling softly. "I know it's a bit different from what you normally eat back in Japan."

Joe chuckled and started to scrape some of the cream cheese off the top of the bagel. "Too much of this white stuff. Other than that, I guess it's okay." He was probably just being polite.

"Well, what do you want to do today? City tour? Maybe take you to the top of the Empire State building?"

Joe lifted a brow and stared at me incredulously. "Expose myself to extreme heights voluntarily?" For a moment, I thought he'd reverted to the frightened, cowardly kid he'd been when I first met him, but then he grinned wide. "Love to."

"You had me worried that you'd chicken out there for a second," I replied, toying with the rim of my coffee cup with a finger.

He shrugged. "I'm not going to say that it doesn't scare me. But I know that it'll be safe. Besides, we've faced worse obstacles than stationary buildings. Life-draining vampires, androids, sea monsters." An impish sort of smirk crept over his features as he added, "Gomamon's jokes."

I nodded, giving a soft sigh. "Sometimes, I wish we could go back in time to the Digital World, knowing what we know now."

"It probably wouldn't have been as fun. Or as big a learning experience as it was."

I took a bite of my own bagel and mused, "It seems weird, doesn't it? We were the chosen ones, and yet now our job has been fulfilled. Somehow, it feels like we should be doing more."

"I know how you feel. I've also had those thoughts, as well as a few philosophical conversations with Izzy on the matter. He feels that it's our duty to improve ourselves in whatever ways we can until it is time to go back, so that we have the knowledge available to us."

"Izzy makes it sound like we definitely will get back to the Digital World."

Joe smiled and shrugged. "Yeah, he's always been more optimistic than I've been on the situation. I mean, it's not like I don't hope to go back. I'm just looking at things realistically. We should improve ourselves whether we go back to the Digital World or not."

"I only hope things are okay there now that we're gone. It hurts not even knowing what our Digimon might be up to. If they're still around."

"I suppose we can only wait to see, Mimi."

*******

At first, Joe's face was altogether too pale by the time we'd reached the top of the Empire State building. However, once he discovered the view of the city, his view changed entirely. His fingers hooked tightly around the protective bars where dozens of tourists already gathered to snap photographs of the city. The wind blew back his hair, and it fluttered about his face. More than once I found myself staring at him, and if he noticed, he didn't let on.

"You can see the whole city from here!" he said, turning to me with a wide grin.

I nodded, remarking, "You should see it at night. It's gorgeous, with the city all lit up."

"Maybe later on. If I can work up the nerve to get back up here again."

"Is it really that bad?" I asked, curious to see if Joe really was scared of the height or if he was joking around with me.

"Actually, the elevator ride up was the worst part," he replied, smiling at me.

Though my stomach was knotted, I reached over and gave Joe's shoulder a reassuring pat. He was a little tense, but he'd be okay. He looked down at my hand before looping his arm around my shoulders companionably. My breath caught in my throat, and it took me a moment to gather my wits again before I wrapped my arm around him loosely in return.

Together, the two of us gazed out upon the city, two close friends caught in time as the world continued on beneath us at the typical breakneck pace of New York.

*******

For the next several days, I showed Joe the sights of New York, from Central Park to the Statue of Liberty. We went to some of the town's Japanese restaurants, although we both agreed that none of them could compare to the restaurants from back home. For a couple nights, we stayed in, just watching a movie or two.

Four nights into Joe's trip, I got the idea to go swimming. He paled at the idea of having to sneak out into the night, but for some reason he went along with it. We grabbed a couple towels, hopped into the car, and drove the thirty minutes to the reservoir, which was located in one of the surrounding suburbs.

By the time we'd reached the reservoir, darkness had just about descended over the area. In the distance, the city lights and sounds loomed above us. However, deep in the woods just over the bridge, we were in a world unto ourselves. There was just the night, the stars, the city, and Joe.

He was hesitant, though. "Are you sure we're not going to get caught?" he asked. "American police don't strike me as being very tolerant of foreigners." He kept near the edge of the water, hands jammed tightly into the pockets of his slacks.

I laughed quietly and shook my head. "No one's caught me yet. Just as long as we're quiet and don't wake up the neighbors," I said in a soft voice. Of course, there was always that fear of getting caught, but that's what made it all the more exciting.

Joe knelt down beside the water's edge and skimmed his fingers over the top, creating soft ripples that gently radiated for a distance. "And this water's safe? No bacteria? Sewage? Flesh-eating viruses?" He looked over at me and grinned -- I could see then that he was joking, at least in part.

I shook my head. "It's perfectly safe," I replied as I kicked off my shoes. After the shoes were off, I grabbed the edge of my shirt and proceeded to toss it over my head.

This action caused Joe to go pale, then to blush as he realized he was staring at me. "What are you doing?" he whispered, alarmed.

The tone of his voice almost made me hesitate, almost made me snatch up my shirt and hide myself. Almost. I forced a mischievous grin and told him, "Well, you didn't think we'd be swimming in our clothes, did you?"

"I didn't think I'd be swimming at all," he murmured, turning away and flushing deeply. "I'm still not that good at it."

I paused. "If this is a problem, Joe, I can--"

"No, no," he interrupted swiftly. "It's just-- well--" He closed his eyes, raised his body as straight as he could, and muttered. "Oh, what the hell. Let's do this before I lose my nerve." He slid out from his sports jacket and started carefully unbuttoning the front of his white shirt.

I laughed, perhaps louder than I should have considering the area, and finished stripping down to nothing. I restrained myself from looking over at Joe, since I figured it might embarrass him, and walked to the water's edge. I slipped into the warm water quietly, though I wished I could have made a big splash -- I held back for fear of anyone in the neighboring houses hearing us. With a few strokes out into the deeper area of the reservoir, I let my body slide beneath the surface. Perhaps, once Joe realized he wouldn't have to be looking at my bare body for too long, he wouldn't be quite so uncomfortable.

When I turned, I realized that Joe was still at the edge. For a second, I thought he might have chickened out at the last second and wouldn't be joining me; however, as I squinted through the darkness, I realized he was neatly folding his clothes and setting them in a careful pile on the ground. Finally, he took off his glasses and dropped them atop the pile. Just as quietly, he followed me into the water and paddled out to where I stood, up to my shoulders.

Beneath the moon and the city lights, we stood for a while, across from each other. Because Joe was so much taller than me, the water only came to mid-chest on him. I could see the slender bones in his shoulders and in his ribcage -- he'd never been much of an athletic person. But I could also see some muscles to his arms and neck, showing me that, while skinny, he certainly was no wimp either.

I could only wonder what he was thinking as he stared back at me with those dark eyes of his.

After some long moments, Joe finally spoke. "This is nice," he said to me quietly.

"I like to come here to think," I replied to him, tilting my head up to meet his gaze. "Whenever I miss Palmon, I like to go out and take a walk through the forest. It makes me feel a little better. Reminds me of her ... of something we'd do."

Joe smiled at me. "The last time I was out in water this deep, I was riding on Ikkakumon's back. And he was telling me some silly joke about Chickenmons crossing the road."

I smiled, though talk of the Digimon, even happy remembrances, always made me a little bummed. "That's Ikkakumon for you," I said quietly. "Always joking. He was definitely good for you."

"How so?"

"He brought you out of your shell," I replied. "I remember when we first met at camp. You were such a ...quiet kid."

Joe laughed softly. "Just say it, Mimi. I was a geek." I started to protest, but he continued, "No, really, I know I was. We were all a bit geeky back then. Even you." He grinned.

I shook my head emphatically. "No, Joe, I wasn't a geek. I was a snob. There's a difference." I smiled.

Joe grinned wryly. "Now look at us. One geek and one snob in another country, sneaking off to the local reservoir to swim naked in someone else's drinking water."

"This water goes to New Jersey," I replied with an idle shrug. "They won't know the difference."

"Still," Joe murmured, inching his way closer towards me in the water, "not a very sensible thing to do, is it?"

"Do you care?"

"No."

And then, Joe was within inches of me. I didn't know whether or not to move away; I certainly didn't want to go further from him. A troubled sort of look came over my face as I reached out my hand to touch his chest. He didn't pull away, instead placing a hand on my shoulder, fingers delicate and hesitant. My breath caught in my throat, my heart hammering. It was what I wanted -- but was it the right thing to do?

"Joe?" I whispered, turning my head up to lock my eyes with his.

"No words," he murmured back to me quietly, reaching his other hand to my jawline, holding there as he gazed into my eyes. I finally caught my breath and closed the distance to meet my lips to his own.

His lips were soft, but they pressed to mine with an eager firmness. He was shaking, I could feel it in his chest, though I didn't know if it was due to nervousness or the chill of the water. Tender lips parted, and I slipped my tongue against his, holding to that breathless kiss for as long as I could. His hand stroked my wet hair, and my arms slid over his shoulders to hold him to me gently.

When he pulled away, I could see him blushing deeply. Not only was his affection evident in his kiss, it was also evident in the erection I could feel pressing against my body. He was inexperienced, and a little embarrassed.

"I-- Mimi, I'm sorry," he stammered, although he didn't try to pull away. I could still tell that he was eager to please, though uncertain as to whether or not he'd gone too far.

"No," I said, smiling up at him reassuringly. "It was beautiful."

Joe shivered for another moment and took a breath to steady his nerves. Then, he inclined his head to meet my lips again, this time pressing against mine with a greater force, a deepening passion. I couldn't help myself -- I gave in to his advances. It was what I'd wanted all week, wasn't it? For now, it didn't matter that we would be separated in a few short days. It didn't matter that we were two lonely teenagers longing for home, and for friends we didn't know if we'd ever see again.

His tongue against mine picked up a fervored pace, and although he still shook, his hands deftly searched my body. I ran my nails down his back, making him arch his spine and whimper with pleasure. He, in turn, cupped one of my breasts, tracing his thumb around the nipple. I couldn't get any closer to him if I tried. There, in the water, we kissed, we fondled, we twined ourselves together in a tangle of limbs.

However, when I reached down to help guide him inside me, he pulled away from me with a gasp. "Mimi," he whispered, suddenly afraid yet deeply aroused, "should we be going this far?"

"I'm protected," I said. This was true -- I was on the pill.

Joe shook his head quickly, swallowed, then continued, "I've never done this before. Before you, I ... I've never even kissed another girl before."

I understood him completely. My first time, I was as scared as he was, if not more. I'd lost my virginity too soon, to a loud American boy who smoked too much. "That's okay, Joe," I said. "We don't have to. It's alright if you're not ready."

Joe let out a faint sigh of relief, slumping his body against mine. I didn't let him relax for too long, though. While he was still aroused, I reached down to wrap my fingers around his manhood, which was slender, like Joe, yet also long. He gasped at the unexpected touch, and arched his hips against my hand. He bit his lip at first, burying his face against my shoulder, but then he proceeded to nibble on my shoulder and bit down hard as he started to climax. He shook all over, unable to control the orgasm, or the cry of pleasure coming from him.

As he began to recover, I reached my arms around him and held him. He shook all over, and I was afraid he might start crying. He didn't weep, though; instead, he just let me hold him until the shakes subsided. "Mimi, Mimi." He whispered my name over and over, just holding me tightly.

"Joe," I whispered in return. Just one word, and then I was silent. I had to hold to the moment as long as I could, and words would have ruined it.

Some time later, he drew back, getting himself under control once more. He was blushing, then, shy as ever. "Thank you, Mimi," he said quietly.

I chuckled and ran a fingertip down the bridge of his nose. "Now, don't mention it. I care about you, Joe. I have ... for a while now."

He nodded and smiled. "Ever since you decided to stay behind when the others were fighting the Dark Masters." I recalled the memory well -- he'd pinpointed the moment exactly. "That's when I started having feelings for you. It's why I've never been with another girl. Even when you moved to America, there was always something holding me back from being with someone else."

I turned away slightly, knowing that I couldn't live up to what Joe had said, myself. Out of loneliness, I'd been with other men, and he knew that. No relationship had ever been very serious, and several had ended badly. Joe saw the hurt in my eyes and reached a tentative hand to my chin to turn my head back to face him.

"I wish I'd been able to be faithful," I said quietly.

"I know, Mimi. And it's okay," he replied with a small grin. "I wouldn't have expected you to. Or wanted you to." He leaned down and gave my forehead a soft kiss.

I smiled, although I was still feeling a little sad. I knew that he would be going back to Japan in just a few short days, and I'd still be here in America. "So where do we go from here?"

A troubled sort of look fell over Joe's face, and he shook his head. "I don't know, Mimi. What do you think we should do?"

I pulled away from him completely and started to wade back towards the shore. After a moment, Joe followed. "You're going back to Japan."

For a time, the only sound between us was the faint lapping of water as we headed to the shore. Joe didn't respond, and my heart was in my throat until he finally spoke.

"Come back to Japan, Mimi."

I shook my head as I made my way out of the water and onto dry land. As I padded over to where my clothes lay strewn about, I said, "I can't. I've got school. And the car. And ... I like it here."

Joe nodded, picking up his glasses and putting them back on again, knowing how much I liked the way they looked. It was the only thing he put on, and, still naked, he walked over to join me. "Everyone back home misses you, Mimi." He paused, quiet a moment, then added, "I miss you."

I sighed, feeling tears pricking my eyes. I tried to fight them back. "If only there was a gate, a way back to the Digital World. Then, neither of us would have to move, but we could still... still--" I broke off and hid my face with a hand.

"Be together," Joe finished in a whisper as he wrapped his arms around me. The air was cold, and our bodies shivered in the night together, bare flesh against bare flesh.

The tears began to slip down my cheeks, and I rested my head against his shoulder. He stroked my hair gently and held me. "It's not fair, Joe."

He let me cry, and when it seemed I was calming again, he tilted my chin up so I could meet his gaze. He smiled. "We've still got a few days together. Let's make the most of it while we can," he said.

I forced a smile and nodded, though I knew that after those days were up, my heart would once again break. "There's still a lot of America to show you."

Joe grinned and nodded. "Well, then, let's get dressed and see more of the country. The night is still young." He leaned down to give me a soft kiss on the lips before drawing away.

I brushed away the tears and smiled slightly. "You probably wouldn't want to go out dancing, I suppose."

He chuckled and shook his head. "I'm probably going to regret saying this," he replied , "but let's just go out and drive."

We held hands as we slowly made our way to shore, the feeling of our fingers twined together still electric. Shaking ourselves as dry as we could, we climbed back into our clothes. This time around, we could look at each other without blushing. We then crept to the car, still taking care not to disturb any of the locals, and drove off into the night.

*****

The remaining days passed by too quickly for my liking. During that time, Joe and I kept close, but never attempted anything more than what we'd done at the reservoir. He was still too shy to sleep in the same bed as me, although I suspect it wasn't just because he was afraid of what we might do -- he was also afraid of getting too attached, especially since he was going home before the week was over. I didn't blame him. I was afraid too, and I didn't want to think of what it would be like to say goodbye again.

We both despaired, despite the good time we were having, but neither of us said anything about it.

The night before Joe had to leave, I couldn't sleep. The whole night, I lay awake thinking about or inevitable parting. Would I cry? Worse, would he cry? What would fill that empty space in my heart after he was gone? Perhaps, I pondered, it really was time to go back to Japan, although it stung to think I would uproot my entire life for a man. I was always too independent, or so I thought.

The next morning, Joe was up early to pack up the rest of his many belongings to bring back with him to Japan, I decided to distract myself from thoughts of having to part with him by logging onto the computer -- if Izzy could escape through the Internet, then so could I. I turned on the strawberry iMac and opened up my e-mail program.

After skimming through some mailing list junk, I noticed a mail sitting in my inbox from Izzy. "Speak of the devil," I whispered, raising a brow at the flashing icon on the mail, indicating that it was urgent.

I clicked on the email just as Joe wandered into the room, leaving his bags outside the doorway. Instead of a text message, a video screen popped up, showing a blurred image that took a few seconds to come into focus. Izzy was sitting too close to the camera, with only a little light illuminating his wide-eyed and slightly sweaty face. He actually appeared ... terrified, and he sounded out of breath, as if he'd been running.

"Mimi, Joe, I hope you're getting this. I don't have too much time," Izzy murmured through the feed. Joe slipped a hand upon my shoulder and held there tightly. "They're almost here. They've already got Tai and Sora. I don't know if Matt is still alive."

"Alive?" I whispered, careful not to miss any of what Izzy was saying.

Izzy's eyes darted about him, and he stopped talking for a few breathless moments -- that seemed like an eternity -- before continuing. "I've encrypted a set of coordinates in an attached file. There's a gateway to the Digital World open, but it's only open in America. You've got to get there. You'll be safe!"

A loud, resounding thumping came through the background of Izzy's message, and he flashed a terrified glance to the door before looking back at the camera. "Once you get this message, you have to leave. They'll know where you are, and they'll stop at nothing to get you. They'll erase your very existe--"

Izzy broke off as a flash of something absolutely black oozed through the breach they'd made and began to envelop him. I'd never seen anything that color before -- and the computer screen flickered as it tried to make sense of the sheer emptiness of the entity. Joe and I heard Izzy let out a chilling scream, which was suddenly cut off as the video link was severed.

"No, Izzy!" I cried out, as if he -- or that ink-black entity -- could hear me through the computer. "Come back!"

Joe shook his head, gripping my shoulder tightly. "No time for hysterics, Mimi," he said, a mix of fear and resolve in his voice. "Download those coordinates to the gateway to the Digital World. I'm going to call Izzy to see if this was some horrible practical joke."

He pulled away from me and picked up the phone. Meanwhile, I decrypted the file that Izzy had sent over, trying to keep from shaking apart. I could hear Joe trying to keep calm as he dialed an operator in Japan. After a few words with the operator, he tossed the phone down in frustration.

"They don't exist!" he said. "No Koushiro Izumi anywhere on file in Odaiba. No former records of Izzy or his family. It's as if they've dropped off the face of the earth."

I printed out the directions to the gate, located just over the bridge in New Jersey of all places, and shook my head. "Deleted. Izzy's been deleted."

Joe's face took on a pained expression for a moment. However, soon enough, his features firmed with a new resolve.

"This is serious, Mimi. We're going back to the Digital World," he said. "And we need to get going now."

(A/N: *sings like Biyomon* s1ncer1ty's leaving a cliffhanger! s1ncer1ty's leaving a cliffhanger!)

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