Whew! The epilogue. Finally. Took me long enough, not? Anyway, after this one, the story will be really finished. I don't know if I will start another digimon fanfiction or not, right now nothing is planned, but you can never know with my muses. They tend to be quite weird.
I really, really thank everybody who has taken the time, and I was really flattered by the response of the last chapter. It made me feel so happy, and I hope you can take this epilogue as a little thank-you present.
I also have to thank netty and Samanda for beta-reading. I really appreciate your help.
Usually I reply to reviews at the bottom of the story, but this time, I didn't want to do that, because it is the last chapter every and I want you to go away with the last sentences of the story in your mind. Um. Or something like that.
Silent Bob - I live in the very south of Germany, near Bavaria. I doubt that you'll know the name of my city, though.^^ And I am still living there, in this small little village, have been living here for my whole, eighteen years. My city is about two hours away from Munich, if that says you something.
Dameus - *blushes* Wow, thanks for the praise! Broken Wings was a hard piece to write, and I am glad that I finished it. Writing in English can be hard at times, but after a while, it gets easier. Sometimes it was so frustrating because I wouldn't find the right words, and I felt ready to smack my head against something...and now it is over. Wow. Took me over a year...
Gato Goddess - I put Takeru and Hikari in the epilogue, but I forgot about Tai...I am sorry, I hope you like it nonetheless. Running away seems like a common solution, but after a while I had realised that you are only running away from your problems and it won't help at all.
MoonDaemon (or SnowTiger^^) - You don't know how happy it made me to read your words! Such praise is just...wow. I always was unsure with this story, was unsure whether I portrayed it correctly or not, and reading your review made me smile in relief and joy. Thank you!
ciily siyn - My, that's an uncommon name. You belong to the people as well who manage to get down after reading fanfics? Me, too! My friend thinks that it is pointless, because they are only fictional characters, but I can't help it.
Charbonne - Well, the epilogue is a little bit different and I don't know if it potrayed everything well, but I really hope you like it. Thanks for the kind words!
Neo - The fact that people were crying while reading this fic is really...amazing. I never thought that my fanfics would be able to do that - I mean, I have read fanfics from other, excellent authors who are much better than me, and they really made me crying, but I never, ever, imagined that I could achieve trhe same...As weird as it sounds, it makes me happy. Not that I am happy because you cry, but I am happy because that means I was able to write the emotiones as I wanted them to write. I don't make any sense here, I know, so I simply thank you for the review.
Broken Wings
by Kaeera
Epilogue: Sunrays
The sun was sending a few golden rays through the clouds, which were moving slowly across the sky. It was a warm day in autumn, the leaves of the trees already coloured in red, and the parks were full of playing children.
Even the students in Odaiba High School were laughing and smiling, for the bell had just rung and they were able to leave their classrooms and go home. It was Friday and the prospect of a weekend without school, a weekend spent with friends and doing fun stuff was raising everyone's spirit.
The grey school building was filled with the noises of hundreds of students chatting animatedly, as they strolled towards the gates.
"Yay!" One of those students, an energetic boy with reddish brown hair and tanned skin, stretched his arms contently. "Finally! Those last two lessons were torture! I mean, I was nearly falling asleep while Ukiyaga-sensei was talking about the effects of the French Revolution on the European political system!"
The blonde boy besides him laughed. "True, but it couldn't have been that bad, I mean, after all, you knew what she was talking about. Normally you can't even tell which lesson we have!"
"Very funny!" The brown-haired one stuck out his tongue. "I only knew about the topic because she wrote it on the blackboard and I copied it in my exercise book."
"Ah, really?" He laughed again. "Well, I should have figured that one out!"
They both grinned as they walked towards the exit, two exact opposites, but obviously very good friends. One was pale, with beautiful blue eyes and blonde hair, a boy the girls swooned over.
The other had darker skin, tanned from being out in the sun every day and warm, chocolate brown eyes. Although he wasn't what one would call a beauty, he had his own appeal which caused several girls to follow him with appraising gazes – although he didn't seem to care.
They talked quite animatedly, when a girl joined them, smiling at both of them. Her hair was a lighter shade of brown, and her eyes sparkled with warmth and joy.
"Hello you two!" she greeted them, brushing a few strands behind her ear. "Are you fighting again?"
"Us?" The blonde's eyes sparkled mischievously. "Ah, Hikari, you're insulting us – we never fight, as you well know. There are only slight disagreements, in which we use physical force to underline our arguments!"
"Sure." Was the sarcastic reply, followed by a snicker. "As if you and Daisuke are able to spend five minutes together without bickering!"
"Hey, Ken!" The third ignored those comments completely and waved at a blue-haired boy waiting outside the school grounds. He sped off, his rucksack hanging loosely over his shoulders. His spiky head moved excitedly as he talked with the genius, his hands underlining every syllable with animated gestures. Ken smiled and nodded at every word, seemingly amused by the over-enthusiastic teenager in front of him.
"It's wonderful, isn't it?" Hikari said softly, her eyes smiling.
"What?" asked the blonde, confused.
"Him." She pointed towards Daisuke, a faraway look on her face. "If you compare him to how he used to be after…you know what, it's really amazing that he's able to laugh like that again."
They stood in silence for a moment, the other students passing by without noticing them.
"You're right," Takeru replied. "It may sound crazy, but I'm kinda proud of him. I mean, it shows how strong he is, and…well, I'm glad to have a friend like him."
"Yeah." Hikari nodded. "Yes, indeed, we can be proud."
Her eyes saddened for a moment. "I guess the whole incident has shown us a bit more of the world. How brutal it can be, and how many people exist who aren't as happy as you and me. And they aren't far away, they are right next door. They live in the flat next to you…"
They shared a moment of solemn silence, and then Takeru smiled. "That's true. But all we can do is try to help those people who are close to us. And that, I will do with my whole heart."
Hikari laughed softly. "That is true."
They both began to walk towards the other two boys, able to overhear what Daisuke was talking about as they drew closer.
"…and guess what he did then? He snatched the book out of my hands, slammed it on the table and told me that he would confiscate it until the end of the term. Can you imagine? And I haven't even finished reading it! I so desperately wanted to see how it ends…"
"That usually happens when one reads books during class, Daisuke." Ken shook his head, but there was no scolding tone in his voice, only pure, simple amusement.
"But I hid it under the desk!" the brown-haired boy whined and pouted. "And I really, really wanted to read it."
"So why didn't you finish it at home?" Takeru queried and stood beside his friend.
Daisuke simply stared at him. "Are you kidding? At home I have better things to do! Besides, I overslept again and Jun threw a tantrum when she had to wake me up. Gee, she's been so agitated since she's entered the university!"
"Well, it's probably too much stress and maybe she's overworked." Hikari suggested, but Daisuke waved it off.
"Nay, she's lovesick again, I've overheard her talking on the phone with her new boyfriend." He scrunched his face in disgust. "That's one negative side effect when you live in an apartment with your sister!"
Ken smiled, a genuine smile which came from heart. "I bet you don't think it's that bad – you are just complaining because you want to complain, not?"
The genius could only too clearly remember how it had been for Daisuke to live at an orphanage and how glad he had been when Jun had finally been old enough to live in an apartment with him. The rent was paid, half by the state and half by their father's savings, who was now sitting in jail and wouldn't see light of a day again for the next thirty years.
Daisuke hesitated, and then grinned sheepishly. "I guess you have caught me again. You're too smart for me, Ken!"
Laughter filled the air, before they dispersed and walked off in different directions while waving goodbye.
Ken accompanied Daisuke on his way home, the smile disappearing from his face as he decided to talk about the topic which had been lingering on his mind for the last few days.
"What I wanted to ask you, Davis…are you really okay?" The question hung in the air, and the carefree expression on the brown-haired boy's face was replaced with a thoughtful look. "You mean because of tomorrow?"
Ken nodded, waiting for his friend to continue. Over the past few years, he had learned to read Daisuke's emotions very well, finally recognising that there weren't always cheerful and happy thoughts going through his stubborn head.
Daisuke scratched his head. "To be quite honest, no. If I'd tell you yes, it would be lie. But…it's better."
"Do you have dreams?"
A sad smile was his answer. "Of course. What do you expect? It was two years ago, but sometimes it seems like months or even weeks only. It's strange, most of the time I don't think of it, but there are days like this…days like tomorrow, when everything comes back to me."
Then his eyes sparkled again, as he flashed his friend a grin. "But it will be okay, really, Ken. I have learned how to deal with it. I will talk to Jun, and maybe I will come over to your place and talk with you, and after that I will go over to the Children's Health Centre to talk with Tamara a bit, and then it will be okay. I won't say that it doesn't hurt – after all, tomorrow is the two-year-anniversary of the day my father stabbed me – but it doesn't hurt as much as before, and that is what counts."
"I'm glad," was the simple reply, as the two friends walked forward, each of them sharing the same thought. No, it wasn't okay, but it would be, because he wasn't alone, and because he had no learned how to deal with his past.
It was later that day that Daisuke Motomiya entered the Children's Health Centre. He was a frequent visitor in the white building. First he had been a patient himself, and then he had been asked to help out a little bit, to talk with other victims of abuse and help them using his own experiences.
Several times a week he came to this place, to play with the smaller children and talk with some older ones. He always paid a visit to his own doctor, with whom he was on first name basis, and she was the person who had convinced him to do this job.
Now he was glad he'd agreed to do it. Of course, it hurt a lot to see all the children with their haunted looks – they reminded him painfully of his own past – but the joy he felt when he was able to help was far bigger than all the sorrows he had experienced.
He never had to deal with the more serious cases though – only doctors and relatives were allowed to see them. But he could talk with those who had already made progress and with the friends he had made during his stay at the orphanage, for the orphanage lay directly beside the Children's Health Centre.
"Davis!" An eight year old, young girl raced towards the boy as he entered the building, throwing her arms around his legs.
"Whoa, hello Aylin!" Daisuke replied and lowered himself down to his knees, so that he was on eye-level with the girl. Aylin wasn't one of the 'cases', she lived in the orphanage because her parents had died in a car accident.
The girl had quickly taken to Daisuke, after he had explained to her how to play football and had accidentally kicked the ball through a window. This had impressed her so much that she started following him everywhere – and Daisuke, always one to make new friends, had taken her with him.
"When can I sleep at your place again?" The little girl pouted, her short black hair standing out in all directions.
"Not for the next weeks, I fear." Daisuke explained. "Jun has some important tests and she needs to study. It won't help her at all when we make noise, you know. But we'll do it as soon as her tests are over, okay?"
"Alright." Aylin sighed, she knew better than to object. It was one positive point one could say about all the children in the orphanage – they weren't spoiled. Most had similar experiences to Daisuke and each of them had his or her own way of dealing with it.
Daisuke had found out – to his surprise – that he wasn't the only one. Of course, he had *known* that there were other children who had been abused by their parents as well, but he hadn't expected to actually *meet* any of them!
It had been awkward at first – being in the same room with a person who had the same experiences as him, yet nobody dared say a word. But as the days passed, they had started to talk to him, and Daisuke had been amazed that the feelings of the others were similar to his own.
"Hey, Aylin," he ruffled the young girl's hair and grinned as she squealed. "I'm sorry, but I can't stay here right now. I have to visit Elias first. But if you wait for me at the main house, I will come and pick you up as soon as we're finished. And then we can go eat ice-cream. Does that sound okay?"
The wide grin was enough, and he stood up as Aylin nodded eagerly. "Alright, then I'm off. See ya later, alligator!"
"In a while, crocodile!" was the immediate answer, and Daisuke had to suppress a chuckle. His face became more serious as he headed towards a different part of the building.
"Ah, hello Daisuke." A head popped out of a room, and Daisuke was pleased to see his old doctor, Tamara Katashi.
"Hello Tamara!" he waved and moved closer to the older woman.
"Coming to see Elias again?"
"Yes. I really want to help him."
The smile slipped from Tamara's features. "I know you do, Davis, but it doesn't always work. Sometimes…sometimes our help isn't enough."
"I know," his voice didn't waver and his gaze was fierce, "but that won't stop me from trying."
The smile appeared again. "That's the spirit! And what is going on with you? After all, a very special anniversary is coming up…tomorrow, am I correct?"
"Yes." Daisuke nodded.
"How are you feeling?"
"Down?" He shrugged. "I told Ken before, it would be a lie to say that I feel all right. But I'm better, and I know that – even when I feel depressed this evening or tomorrow – that I will be able to smile again, and that makes it easier, somehow. So I'll tell you the same thing I told Ken. No, I am not okay." His smile broadened. "But I will be."
"I'm very glad to hear that." Tamara returned the smile. "You've matured a lot, Davis. You will be a fine young man one day – to be honest, you already are, but don't tell anyone I said that."
"I won't," he reassured her laughing.
"Elias is in his room. Go and talk with him. I think he needs it."
"Thanks." Daisuke smiled once more and left, heading towards the door. Elias was the latest 'case', and his story had a significant resemblance to Daisuke's own past.
The boy had lived with his alcoholic father. The man had been an alcoholic for over four years now, after the divorce of his parents. His father had adopted the habit of blaming his son for everything bad that happened to him, underlining his words with cruel beatings. When the police had found Elias, he had been imprisoned in the cellar for over three days and was seriously dehydrated.
Daisuke had to admit that the poor boy had had it even worse than him, add to that the injuries that came from the physical trauma of being imprisoned in a dark cell for three days, and it had taken the doctors a long time to get him to talk. He hadn't become catatonic like Daisuke, instead he had resorted to violence and was resenting every talk, every word directed as him.
Daisuke knew – because he had felt it himself and because Tamara had explained it to him – that this was only a defence mechanism, that deep inside the boy felt the same as he had felt: shame, guilt, and worthlessness.
He wanted to help, wanted it more than anything else. But so far Elias hadn't been cooperative, he had simply refused to talk and had only sneered at him.
The room was silent as he entered, and he recognised the still figure sitting in a chair, holding a newspaper in his hands.
The boy was about thirteen years old, with lanky legs and a thin frame. His delicate face was pale, only the dark eyes a deep contrast to the rest of his body. His hair was short and black.
As Daisuke entered, he stared up with an old, cold expression on his face. "You." It was the only word he said, his voice raspy and devoid of all emotion.
"Yes. Me." Daisuke sent him a smile, knowing all to well that his usual cheerful self wouldn't help the boy at all.
"Why are you here?"
Daisuke took his time before he answered, instead he grabbed a chair and sat down on it. "You know, the usual stuff, I got bored and I thought I'd pay you a visit. You and Tamara and some of the guys in the orphanage."
"You don't need to visit me."
"Yes. You're right. I don't need to." He leaned back comfortably in his chair. "But I wanted to."
Silence was his only answer. Daisuke leaned his head on his arms and looked at the younger boy. "I wanted to come because tomorrow is the anniversary of the day I was brought here." He then continued softly, not caring if Elias listened or not. "It feels kind of awkward, and that's why I came here."
A derisive snort was his reply. "And I bet you immediately felt great and everybody loved you and soon you were good friends with everyone and so on…"
Daisuke blinked. "What makes you think that?"
Elias sent him a dark look. "Well, look at you! You're so…nice! Everybody likes you! For people like you, a thing like depression doesn't exist!"
"Ah." The brown-haired boy nodded, the expression on his face unreadable. "Because I'm usually cheerful, I don't know depression, have never experienced it, despite the fact that I was brought to the hospital two years ago because my father stabbed me. Well, that's perfectly understandable."
Elias stared at him and frowned. Daisuke hadn't told him about his past yet, trying to get closer to the boy before he did so. "You're lying."
"I am lying?" Daisuke raised an eyebrow. "You can ask Dr. Katashi – it's true. I've had the same experience as you, I was abused by my father. I was terrorized and in the end, he stabbed me with the kitchen knife. I was taken to the hospital, and after I healed, I was brought here for further treatment."
Blink. Blink. Elias sent him an unbelieving look.
"You don't believe me because I am sitting here and smiling at you? Because I go to school like everybody else and act like all the boys you know from your class? Those children who don't have any real worries?"
The stricken look on the other boy's face told him that he had hit the target directly.
"Now let me tell you one thing, Elias. When I was brought here, I was far worse than you. I didn't speak. I didn't move. I didn't even acknowledge other people in the room! It worried my sis' hopelessly, and nobody knew what to do. I would simply refuse to talk – totally catatonic, you understand?"
A forlorn expression appeared on Daisuke's face. "My memory of that time is only a blur, but the others told me about it. I can only remember…darkness. Emptiness. And all those voices screaming at me about how hopeless, worthless I was. That even my own father didn't accept me. I thought nobody wanted me. I believed that I wasn't worth living anymore. I couldn't trust myself, and I lost my faith in other human beings."
Elias turned around, his eyes facing the walls as Daisuke sent him a sad look. "This is what you are feeling right now, is it not? Why did he do this to me? Why am I such a loser? How can anyone even love me? How can they even look at me? Don't they see that I am dirty, that I am a shame for everyone? And when they come to you and tell you something – anything, it doesn't matter what – your mind cries, they are lying! It can't be! You will never be lucky again! You simply shouldn't exist!"
Elias' eyes widened and Daisuke could hear a gasp – or a choked sob, he wasn't sure. For a long time, neither one of them spoke.
Then the younger boy opened his mouth, his head still facing the white wall. "How did you…" His voice trailed of, and the aggressive undertone had disappeared. But Daisuke didn't need to hear the rest.
"How I started speaking again? Or how I fought against those voices?" He shrugged and leaned back, looking out of the window. "Trust me, it wasn't easy. And often, I wanted to give up, to throw myself off a bridge or something like that so that I wouldn't have to bear the pain anymore."
"But…I had people. Friends. My sister. Tamara. They all helped me. They talked with me. They told me that they still loved me. Of course, I didn't believe them. I didn't believe anyone at first. I thought they were just feeling pity for me and that they would recognise after some time, that I was...was unworthy of them. I was afraid that they would leave me like that. But they didn't. They kept coming. Day after day. Week after week. And slowly…slowly things got better. It never stopped hurting. But the pain became less. And easier to bear."
He closed his eyes. "And then came the day when I laughed for the first time. Or the day I looked out of the window and thought 'Oh, the flowers are pretty'. Such normal things…I was able to smile, to joke with my friends…and I was able to cry. I didn't believe it at first, but it really became better.
And now…now I'm normal, if you can say that, and I have learned some really important things. My life isn't a happy-go-lucky dream. If you think so, there are still many rough times ahead of me. But I have learned to deal with it. I have learned to live with the images haunting my mind, and that's why I was able to start living again."
Elias turned his head and stared him directly in the eyes. "But…you had people who cared for you. Nobody cares for me!"
"Oh? And what about your mother?"
His face darkened immediately. "She doesn't care about me – after all, she has left me with…"
Daisuke frowned. "Strange. But she's coming to visit you every day. I didn't think that a person who doesn't care at all would do that. I mean, all the effort of travelling through the city – she wouldn't do it if she didn't care, would she?"
The boy opened his mouth and closed it again, obviously at a loss for words. "But she…"
"She divorced your father, yes. But she didn't divorce you. I've talked with her, and as far as I know, it wasn't her decision to leave you with him – it was his, and she was powerless against it. You were able to visit her every weekend, weren't you?"
"…Yes."
"You could come and see your smaller siblings."
"Yes."
"But you didn't visit very often."
"…"
Daisuke didn't know what to say anymore. He knew how to talk about topics like abuse and such, but divorce was a totally different area. He had no idea how that felt, and that was the reason why he had asked Takeru about it. But the information hadn't been very helpful, for Elias seemed – in opposite to the blonde digidestined – not to have such close bonds with his younger siblings. Or he pretended not to. Whatever.
But he *had* spoken which Elias' mother, a gentle woman at the age of 39, and he didn't get the impression that she didn't care – she had nearly dissolved into tears when her son had sent her out of the room with a cold stare.
That was Elias' problem, he was pushing everyone away, either with rude remarks or cold looks which chilled through to the bone.
"He only beat me when he was drunk, you know."
Daisuke blinked, the words slowly entering his brain, but then he sat up, listening closely. Elias had started talking, and he was looking away again.
"And then he screamed at me. And I…I simply cried and wished it were over. Then, when I woke the next morning…I always wondered…why me? Why does he do this? And why can't Mom prevent him from doing it?"
He looked at Daisuke and smiled weakly. "That's why I stopped visiting her. I couldn't stand to look in her eyes when I knew what was happening as soon as I went home. And I couldn't tell her either…so I simply stopped going."
"And did she forget about you?"
"No…she called, often and she even came over several times, but I pushed her away."
"And those are the actions of somebody who doesn't care?"
The silence hung in the air again, covered them like a blanket. Then, a thick, tear-filled voice broke it, shattered it, as four simple words were spoken. "No, I guess not…"
Daisuke felt relief tug at his heart. Those four words meant so much…they meant that Elias hadn't retreated so far that there was no comeback. They showed that there was still a chance, and that he could follow the same path of recovery Daisuke had chosen – because he was strong.
"Elias…" His voice was serious, and he waited until the younger boy looked him in the eyes. "I can't promise you that it won't hurt. I can't promise you that it will be easy. That is not in my power. And that's not the reason I visited you today. I…"
Daisuke hesitated, searching for the right words. "I wanted to tell you that it is possible. That you can do it, that you can escape those voices and accept yourself again. It is possible to lead a normal life after such a…an incident. It is hard, and you will need the help of others. It is painful and you will cry a lot. But…you can do it."
He took a deep breath. "I'll be there for you. I'll be your friend, no matter what. I don't despise you. I know what you are going through. And I will help you, like your mother and your siblings will help you. The only thing you have to do is appreciate it."
Helpless, black eyes looked at him, wanting to believe, but fearing to be hurt again. However, those chocolate brown eyes were full of genuine sympathy, and no trace of hatred lingered there.
"I…I have to think about it." was the small reply, and Daisuke grinned, relieved. "Think about it as much as you want, but remember to give me an answer the next time I visit you!"
Then he stood up, his eyes twinkling with an emotion Elias couldn't quite identify. "So, I'd better go now. I promised a friend of mine I'd take her out. After that I have to go home to be with my sister…she promised to cook tonight, and I don't want to miss that – she can be an excellent cook as long as she sticks to the recipe book." Daisuke grinned. "But you shouldn't try her 'inventions' unless you want to die a painful death."
"Eh…" Elias made a small sound, but the brown-haired boy was already going out the door.
"See ya on Monday, Elias. And think about what I told you, okay?"
"…Yes."
"Great! Bye-bye!" He waved one more time, leaving a very confused boy behind.
Elias leaned back in his chair and stared at the newspaper in his hands. For a long time, he didn't move, just sat there, thinking. He thought about the inner turmoil he was going through and about what the other boy had told him…had Daisuke really experienced the same thing as him? But he was so…friendly! And everyone liked him! He had seen how the other kids had greeted the older boy. Didn't they despise him because of…that?
It didn't seem like this was the case. Daisuke was well-known in both the orphanage and the Children's Centre, often admired by the younger patients and accepted by the older ones.
'So it is possible, after all…'
He was so caught up in his own thoughts that he nearly didn't notice the door opening. His head shot up, as he saw the round, gentle face of his mother peeping through the doorway. She was visiting him, like she had yesterday…and the day before…and the day before…
'But she's coming to visit you every day. I don't think that a person who didn't care would do that.'
"Hello Elias." She smiled unsure, fully aware that during her past visits, her son had always given her the cold shoulder.
But this time was different. Elias looked up and sent her a smile, the first smile from him she had seen in weeks. It was shaky and it disappeared as soon as it had come, but it was there, and that alone was a great accomplishment.
"Hello Mum."
It was late evening as Daisuke finally plopped down on his bed. His day had been so full of events that he hadn't even been able to think about the anniversary anymore, and for that, he was thankful. He had eaten a big chocolate ice-cream cone with Aylin and afterwards he had gone home to enjoy a luxurious dinner cooked by Jun Motomiya herself.
Now he was lying in his room, Veemon plopped down on his stomach, and staring up at the ceiling, lost in thought.
Tomorrow would be *the* day, and he didn't know what to think of it. He had been very depressed last year, but he had been able to overcome it with the help of his friends.
This year was different, much to his surprise. He still was depressed, but it wasn't as bad as before. It was more of a feeling of melancholy than real depression, the dark, all-embracing feeling that had threatened to eat him alive.
"You okay?" came the soft question from his digimon.
Daisuke smiled. "You don't know how many people asked me that question today."
"Oh." Veemon blinked. "Shouldn't I ask?"
"No, no, it's all right. I guess the answer is both 'Yes' and 'No'. Yes, I am okay because I have learned to deal with it, no, I am not okay because those pictures in my mind will always be there."
He sighed deeply. "But it really is like Ken has said, the pain lessens with time. You learn to live with it and you can even laugh again, lead a normal life…I'm not unhappy. I like my life how it is right now. I have had good luck. And I have great friends and a wonderful sister, although she manages to hide it most of the time."
Veemon snickered at this comment. Yes, Jun had gone back to her old, refreshing self not soon after the incident, and the siblings bickered like they had done before. But it was mostly a friendly bantering, their way of showing each other affection and bringing a hint of normalcy into their lives.
"So, you will be okay." It wasn't a question, but a statement, but nonetheless Daisuke nodded.
"More or less. I'll have diner with Jun tomorrow, and then I am going over to visit Ken and meet the other guys." He smiled faintly. "It hurts less when you can hang around with your friends, y'know."
"I know." They sat in silence for a few minutes, until Daisuke started talking again.
"You remember this boy I told you about? Elias from the Centre?"
"The one who was abused?"
"Exactly. I visited him today." Daisuke turned on his side so he could stare at the wall of his room. Veemon, surprised by the sudden movement, slid down his stomach and landed on the bed.
"How did it go?" The digimon asked, while crawling towards the end where Daisuke's head was laying.
"Well…ok I guess. I really can't tell. He's so different from me –more aggressive and he tends to push others away with all his might. I told him how it was with me, but I don't know if I really reached him. I guess I achieved something, but what, we have yet to see."
Veemon looked at him for a long time and then smiled dimly. "You've really made a great recovery, Davis."
"Huh?" Daisuke blinked, surprised by the sudden change of topic.
"Well…look at yourself! Two years ago you ran away when someone mentioned the word 'father' in your presence, and now you are able to talk about your past with other people without freaking out or crying. I think that's a great improvement!"
"You think?" Daisuke blinked again, and then laughed, a genuine, happy laugh. "I guess so. Thanks!"
"Always, Davis. Always."
They laid in silence for a few more minutes, until a scream thundered through the apartment, followed by a loud crash and then some equally loud curses that were not very ladylike.
Daisuke rolled his eyes. "Let me guess…Jun is washing the dishes?"
Veemon peered out of the door and nodded. "Yep."
"Figures." he smiled lazily and rolled over, the muttered curses and the sound of someone brushing broken pieces of glass together lulling him into a comfortable sleep. For some it might have been crazy, but for Daisuke it sounded like home.
There's the knowledge
That one day the sun will shine again
That one day the birds will sing their endless song
And that's why we are able
To walk through the rain with laughter on our lips
To hope for the best even when the sky is grey
Even if one bird's wings are broken
He still might be able to soar through the sky
Because he is not alone
Because there are other birds who might help him
And because the sun will shine again
Fin.