Baby Mine

Hello, original Yu-Gi-Oh fans! I had a sudden inspiration to write a one-shot about the boys later known as the Kaiba brothers, Seto and Mokuba. I was thinking about the song from Disney's "Dumbo," and I had an image of a much younger Seto Kaiba holding his very tiny brother. This will best be described as a bittersweet story and you just might need Kleenex. I say it is bittersweet because it is a sad situation and yet it shows how strong and loving the boys' relationship truly is. I hope you enjoy it.

I don't own the Yu-Gi-Oh franchise or the song, Baby Mine, which inspired this story.

Author's note: This story takes place the day Mokuba turned 4 months old. As is the case in "The Jedi League of Duelists," the boys' last name is Delaney, which means "descendent of the challenger." Considering Seto's ancient past, the name seems appropriate. Yes, this is dub-verse and a timeline consistent with Yugi-verses I have created on my own or with a co-author. I know it well, though I also know some things about the sub-verse. A further note: only one line of the song is in this story. Originally, it had a little more, but I don't want to have unintentionally committed plagiarism. Thanks! June 9, 2012- I have made a further edit.

November 7, 1994—Seto James Delaney looked at the clock in the kitchen. It was a rainy fall day and the wind was blowing wet leaves around the house. Seto should've been at school today, but Dad hadn't gotten a babysitter, so the seven-year-old boy had called into school. At such a young age, Seto had a gift with technology and had decided to use that gift originally to have fun, but now he used it to protect what remained of his family. It was four months ago today that Adina Justine Delaney, Seto and Mokuba's mother had died having Mokuba. Seto could've hated his baby brother because the day the baby was born was the day their mother died. However, about an hour after Mokuba was born, Seto had gone over to the bassinette and the tiny baby had flung out an arm and wrapped his tiny hand around his big brother's finger. Any hatred the older boy might've harbored had disappeared like fog before the bright sun, leaving an inviolable love for the tiny baby.

It was a good thing that this was the case because after Adina died, Seto and Mokuba's father, Richard, sank into a deep depression. The man did only what he had to do to take care of the boys and would barely look at the baby. So the duty of raising little Mokuba Richard Delaney had fallen to his seven-year-old brother. So here Seto was in the kitchen, preparing a bottle of formula. Mokuba would be awake soon and crying from hunger, so the older boy had to be prepared. He measured the formula powder and the warm water and then got the stuff mixed up in a baby bottle. He tested it to make sure it wasn't too hot, and headed into Mokuba's nursery.

Mokuba was still asleep in his crib when his big brother came into the room. The baby had a mop of raven hair and when his eyes were open, one could see his blue-gray eyes. He was the spitting image of his late mother, Seto knew. The older boy had seen pictures of his mother growing up and so far, her youngest child looked exactly as she had as a baby. Seto looked down at his brother and could only wonder if the boy would continue to favor their mother. 'He looks so sweet when he sleeps,' the seven-year-old thought. 'I'll protect you, Mokie. And I'll love you no matter what.' He reached out and brushed the extremely soft head of hair.

Mokuba chose this moment to wake up and cry, indicating that he was hungry. "Hi, Mokie," Seto said. "It's all right; Seto's here. I've got a bottle." He moved away from the crib long enough to get a burp cloth and lay it over his shoulder, and then he returned to pick up Mokuba. The big boy carried his brother and sat down in the same rocking chair their mother had sat in to rock baby Seto to sleep. "Mokie…Mommy sat in this chair and fed me. And now I'm feeding you in her chair, so it's like she's here too!" He moved and rocked the baby, got the bottle from the stand next to the rocking chair and held it to his brother's lips.

Baby Mokuba's pudgy lips probed at the nipple of the bottle and got hold, tears still rolling down his chubby cheeks. He hiccupped a little and managed to suck on the bottle. He was still a little upset and Seto wanted to do something to calm his little brother down so the baby wouldn't swallow air and get a tummy ache. "Mokie…It's okay. You're getting a good warm bottle…"

Mokuba still whimpered lightly. He knew consciously that this "Seto" person was someone who loved him and took care of whatever he needed. Right now, he needed something other than food, a diaper or his warm fluffy blue blanket sleeper. It was something he knew that he needed even if he didn't know precisely what he needed.

Seto somehow knew this as well. He suddenly remembered a song that his mother sang to him from the time he was a baby himself. Seto still remembered the song and began to sing Baby Mine. He sang the entire song as his mother had sang it, tearing up at the end. He couldn't escape the thought that it should be his mother singing that song to her youngest child. But Adina Delaney wasn't here.

Mokuba finished the bottle and Seto lifted his brother to burp him and then rocked the tiny baby in his arms, singing the song again softly. When the seven-year-old looked down again, the baby boy was asleep and looking happy. Seto got down from the chair and placed Mokuba in the crib again.

"Have a good sleep, Mokie…baby of mine…"

THE END

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