Hidden Love

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these charactors.

The italics are flash backs the beginning is the introduction to the rest of the story sorry but is a bit of a long intro.

Chapter 1: Memories

"What is your name you puny rat?" yelled a large man wearing a brand new, red, velvet suit. He held the young girl firmly by her long, raven hair pushing her around like a puppet, smashing her knees into the hard, wooden floor. The girl breathed hard trying to get through the torturing pain. She grittered her teeth preparing for the pain that was yet to come after her answer. "I don't have a specific name," the girl replied slowly. She was dirty from the street alleyways and her clothes were torn in small areas from been pushed around on the rough wooden floor. She was around sixteen years old.

"What do you mean no specific name, you dirt bag."

"Some call me puny rat, others call me dirt bag no name has ever stuck for too long the longest I ever had a decent name was for 4 years and I can't remember it." The girl smiled sarcastically to the man it was this rebellious, disrespectful attitude that got her into trouble. "You snot nosed cow I'll teach you to respect me! You two!" pointing at two young boys in the corner. " Watch this girl while I get something!" The man threw the girl to the floor and left her lying there. Two young boys stood silently, one was about the same age as the girl he was tall with handsome features and silky brown hair. The other was younger with long, black hair and held tightly onto his brother's sleeve. Both stood like statues faces hard but underneath their hardened expressions the girl could see the pain they had to go through everyday.

"Bro…?" The young boy said. "I don't think the girl looks like dirt I think she looks pretty. Don't you?" The older boy smiled at his innocent younger sibling.

"Yes," he replied looking at the girl softly and back at his brother.

"We need to help her we can't just stand here and do nothing…"The younger boy was brave to say such things normally he would have just left it but before he could finish he was interrupted by the girl; who was slowly trying to lift herself up.

"No… you can't. I can see the pain you must have to go through everyday. Your lives may seem better in many ways but I am not worth the trouble you would have to go through to help me. This way of life was decided for me long ago." The older brother lifted his hard expression and began walking towards the girl.

"How can you see our pain when you are suffering right in front of us here?"

"Because no pain can be as bad as the pain of someone who just said you were pretty," the girl laughed. The younger brother joined in but the older brother just looked at her how could someone who had suffered so much laugh and smile like she was. "Bro? I have a horrid feeling that something bad is going to happen would you go back to our study room for a while I don't want to see you get hurt." The younger brother was about to object but decided to trust what his brother said. If anyone knew what their stepfather was capable of it was his brother. He nodded obediently and smiled at the girl as he left the room.

"You really care about what happens to us don't you, rather than care about yourself? I mean what if you died here and now? " The girl looked at him.

"My only regret of dieing here would be that I couldn't help someone as kind as you. I mean look at the way you protected your brother you thought of his safety before yours. But also that I would have caused you more pain by dieing in front of you." The boy knelt down next to the girl something about her made him feel warm, but also stronger inside.

"I think you would have to be the most amazing and strongest person I have ever met."

"I was about to say the same thing," they both smiled at each other warmly.

"Someone like you deserves a name that is equally beautiful and unique." The boy moved closer to the girl's ear. "Jiada …"

"Traitorous boy," The large man said peering through a spy hole in the wall. He stroked his long grey moustache and laughed quietly to himself. "Maybe I can use this girl to my advantage. If I was going to keep control I needed to find my young step-son's weak spot besides that useless younger brother of his, and I may have found the solution, maybe now I can finally break his spirit." The man picked up his large walking stick and stormed into the room.

"You traitorous snake in the grass." The man yelled pulling the boy away from the girl. "And you, conniving demon trying to bewitch my step-son with your lies..." He lifted up his walking stick. One end was flat like a normal stick should be but the other had been sharpened to an evil point. The blunt end was now being hastily brought down to the point of impact. "…You will now get your just reward." The man began heavily beating Jiada to an inch of her life swellings and bruises immediately appearing over her skin. The boy had had enough this madness had to stop, he leapt to his feet bravely and flung himself on his step- dad pulling the man away with all his strength.

"Leave…her…be…you monster." The man elbowed the boy in the ribs and threw him across the room he turned his stick to the pointed end and slowly walked over. "My boy did you honestly think you could help this girl…did you? You are just as pathetic and useless as her. I brought you and your brother in from the orphanage protecting you from the dangers of the world. Do you want to end up like this rat? Cold, alone and unloved." Jiada summoned up all her strength and began crawling over to the boy she wasn't going to let this man or anyone else hurt him even if it cost her, her life. "She is not a rat. And if you were to throw me out with her at least we would have each other for strength she has given me the strength to stand up to you. And …if one person can make you feel like that by talking to you for only a few minutes you want to hold onto that person…" he looked back at Jiada, "…forever."

The man looked at Jiada who was slowly edging forward and his stepson their eyes were joined. They looked like two star-crossed lovers that had been joined the moment they had met. The man was getting angry his face was now blood red, the veins on his neck protruding. He lifted his stick even higher putting even more force into the swing "I've had just about enough, this is the price you pay for double crossing me." The man swung down onto the boy. The boy closed his eyes waiting for the inevitable but it never came.

"Aaaauuugggghhhh!!!!" A cry of pain could be heard but it was not his own. He opened his eyes to see Jiada kneeling over him blood gushing down her face. Within seconds she had pulled in front of the boy to protect him the stick came down slashing her across the face starting at the forehead and working it's way down over her eye. The boy tore off the arm of his jacket and put it on her eye replacing her hand. He held her close, she held onto him forgetting about her pain for a split second to enjoy his embrace; as did he. The man wiped away the blood of the stick with a handkerchief and pulled out a phone. He muttered a few words into it and put it away. The man left the two teens to enjoy each others company for a few more moments it wouldn't be long before they would be separated forever and he could control his step-son like a puppet.

"I'm so sorry… I...I couldn't protect you I wasn't strong enough." The boy looked away hiding tears from Jiada. How was he supposed to look strong if he was crying? Jiada stroked his cheek.

"You don't have to keep your guard up all the time. You protected me while I was being beaten that showed more courage than any other act in the world. No-one could ever equal want you just did." The boy ran his fingers through her hair.

"Hear me when I say from now on I will protect you. I promise I will grow powerful and strong. I will defeat my stepfather for you! And I always keep my promises" Jiada looked at him no-one had ever shown her this much love and friendship like this young boy.

"You will always have a place in my heart. But I will be through back into the streets I was found."

"I will find you. No matter where you go I will always come for you Jiada. Just remember my name Seto Kaiba. For it will one day be the most famous name on the planet."

"Seto…." She took off a small band that she had on her wrist and put it on his. It was black leather with a gleaming metal dragon on.

"I always dreamed that one day that dragon would fly and rescue me but now I have someone else. It will protect you."

Seto also took off a small trinket but this was a necklace with a different silver dragon on it. "Now we will always have a piece of one another." Jiada put on the necklace.

"I will never take it off."

Suddenly some large men in black suits barged aggressively into the room. Two-grabbed Seto while the other grabbed Jiada. They hands still connected they weren't about to be separated. Not like this.

"Take Seto to his study room and give him a good beating I deal with him just make sure young Makuba isn't watching can't have him see death now can we, the rat can be sent back to the sewer." The men ripped the pair apart leaving them to only cry over to each other.

"Seto………"

"Jiada!! I'll find you…I'll find you."

"Don't leave…" the man holding Jiada whacked her in the eye that had just been cut leaving her lying unconscious in his arms. He took her out the room and down the stairs. Leaving her mildly conscious in the dirty alley where she was first found. Seto however was still in the building kicking the guards and frantically yelling at his stepfather.

"You monster you will pay for want you did."

"Me? Pay? Get a grip Seto that girl was useless trash why do you think someone so young had no home to begin with. She didn't care about you she was just using you. You'll forget she ever existed, and she will think your dead."

"You will pay. You lowlife piece of …" His stepfather slapped him round the face and signalled for him to be taken away. But this was not over not by any stretch of the imagination.

5 months later

"Mr Kaiba the take over of Kaiba Corporation is complete." The stern faced young man turned in his chair his expression was colder than ice.

"And about time, first I will have to tell my stepfather the good news then I have a promise to keep."

"Forgive my prying sir but what promise?" The young man looked out the window for a moment then back at his trusted guard.

"You'll see. Get me every record of any person that has ever registered their name as Jiada for anything in the past 5 months. Or Jiada Kaiba."

"Yes sir Mr Kaiba. Right away." The guard left the room leaving Seto on his own. He looked at a small bracelet that was on his wrist and stroked it.

"I promised I would grow powerful and protect you. Now I will keep my promise and destroy my Stepfather and find you. I told him he would pay." Kaiba laughed smuggly to himself and walked out the door.