This Changes Everything III
By Archangel Bloodraven.

"Kari!" TK stared at the door that had been slammed unceremoniously in his face.

"Go away Takeru Ishida." She said coldly from the other side. "I never want to see you again."

On the other side of town another Kamiya was on the receiving end. "But Sora-"

"No buts Tai. Your presence is no longer desired." Sora said icily "Leave."

Tai was about say something when the door slammed in his face.

As luck would have it, fate brought our two lovelorn suitors together in a soda  shop. Tai was sitting on a stool and nursing a root beer wishing for something stronger when TK came in from the pouring rain and slumped down on the stool next to him.

"Cherry vanilla floats and keep 'em coming." He said tossing some yen on the counter.

"What happened to you?" Tai asked.

"Women." He said shortly.

"Tell me about it." Tai laughed bitterly.

"So did you and Sora have a fight or something?"

"Or something." Tai said taking another swig of his root beer. "What about you? Did my sister throw you out on your ears or something?"

"Something like that. How'd you know I was seeing Kari?" He asked as the first of his cherry vanilla floats arrived.

"You gave yourself away." Tai said pointing to his glass. "Cherry vanilla floats are Kari's favorite."

TK smiled ruefully as he took a long swig from his drink. "It's times like this I wonder what I even see in her.

She's sun and rain." "She's fire and ice."

Tai agreed.

"A little crazy." "But it's nice."

TK said drawing back on his drink.

"And when she gets mad, you best leave her alone."
"'Cause she'll rage just like a river."

Tai said signaling for a fresh soda.

"Then she'll beg you to forgive her."

TK laughed staring into his empty glass.

"Oh she's every woman that I've ever known." 

He sighed.

"I know what you mean." Tai said as their fresh drinks came. "I mean look at Sora.


She's so New York and then L.A.
And every town along the way."
"She's every place that I've never been."

TK interjected quietly. "What's it like when you're with her?"

"She's makin' love on rainy nights."

Tai replied flushing somewhat. "You?"

TK arched an eyebrow and suppressed a smile. 


"She's a stroll through Christmas lights
And she's everything I want to do again."

He sighed thinking of his little brunette angel. "How do I explain it?"

"It needs no explanation
'Cause it all makes perfect sense
For when it comes down to temptation
She's on both sides of the fence."

Tai said, signaling for a fresh root beer. "What were you and Kari fighting about?" TK explained about the dance and his deception. "Not good, man. I know you meant it to be a surprise, but Kari had her heart set on seeing you that night. After you told her you couldn't make it..."

TK nodded thoughtfully. "What about you? Why aren't you with Sora?"

"We got into a fight over something so silly I can't even remember." Tai mumbled "I guess I just didn't know how to explain my feelings to her."

"No it needs no explanation
'Cause it all makes perfect sense
When it comes down to temptation
She's on both sides of the fence."

TK said.

"Throwing my own material back at me?" Tai asked.

"No. Just telling you the truth." TK said. "Sora is the best thing that's ever happened to you.

She's anything but typical."
"She's so unpredictable,

like Kari." Tai said.

"Oh but even at her worst she ain't that bad."

TK said.

"She's as real as real can be."

Tai replied

"And she's every fantasy."

TK murmured thoughtfully.

Tai finished his last root beer.

"Lord she's every lover that I've ever had."
"And she's every lover that I've never had."

TK said. Tai laughed at that. "Tai, why are we sitting here when the best thing we ever had is slipping right through our grasps?"

Tai shook his head, paid his bill and handed TK some yen. "Her favorite flowers are white lilies. I think Mrs. Takenouchi's flower shop is still open for a few more minutes, if you hurry."

"What about you?" TK asked pulling on his duster.

"It'll take more than flowers to fix this mess, TK. But I have an idea." Tai said grabbing his change. "Now get going."

"Why are you helping me?"

"Because of the way Kari's eyes shine when she thinks about you. Now go."

~*~

Will this be enough to win back Kari's love, or has TK lost her forever? And what is Tai's mysterious idea? You'll find out. "She's Every Woman" is from Garth Brooks's "Fresh Horses" Album.