Hikari: Finally, here's my Tier 3 for the Yu-Gi-Oh! Fanfiction Contest: Kiddyshipping. Mind you that the shipping element in this story is very small.

Yamie: Can I do the disclaimer?

Hikari: In a minute! This story is loosely inspired from my childhood, so I hope you enjoy. I also took into consideration all my previous reviews to make this my best story yet. By the way, this takes place before Rebecca got into Duel monsters, so she isn't a champion yet. Okay Yamie, it's your turn.

Yamie: Yes, finally! Hikari doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh! in any shape, form, or size. Too bad for her. Also, we'd both like to thank our new and first (you can list this under your growing 'firsts' list ;) beta, Annzy!


Key:

'Hi' = Thoughts

Hi = Flashback


The sun shone brightly over Domino City that day. It was just warm enough for girls to wear skirts and boys to wear shorts, yet cool enough to require a light jacket. For one bright-eyed blonde, this was just the way she liked her days to go.

"Rebecca Hopkins, you will not be late for school again! And don't forget your lunch!" A perky, high-pitched voice broke the girl's gazing. She walked away from the window and went into the bathroom to give a final glance in the mirror. Her pigtails hung just so and she fingered her new skirt happily. After all, he was coming to visit today! Grandpa was finally coming to see her, and she knew exactly what she wanted to do for him. All she needed to do was get to school.

"I'm coming, Mother!" Today was going to be a great day; first school, then her last ballet practice before the big recital, and finally her time alone with Grandpa. She hadn't seen him in two long years, and missed him immensely. Nothing could spoil such a day!


It was two forty-five and the skies remained clear and bright as if celebrating Rebecca's special day. From within her Kindergarten school classroom, children chirped joyfully about who knows what. Some were reading picture books while others were content with talking and racing around the room.

Nothing too exciting had happened so far in class, at least not to Rebecca. They had gotten a new student sometime that day, but she wasn't paying attention. All she could think about was her thrilling plans after school and how it was almost coloring time, the correct moment to put her plan into motion.

Normally, Rebecca was a trouble-maker and thrived on making the teacher's job difficult. Today, however, she didn't want to risk the chance of getting in trouble. She couldn't afford to sit out of coloring time! A familiar voice broke into her daydreaming.

"Rebecca, can I speak to you outside?" It was her teacher, a tall woman with a wide frame to match. Even as a young child, Rebecca could spot the immense amounts of make-up that the teacher piled on her face daily. Her teacher had spoken in a deeply feminine voice, strict yet caring.

'How can I be in trouble? I didn't even do anything! Why am I getting a lecture if I've been good all day? That's usually the reason for being called out…' Confused, Rebecca followed the teacher outside the classroom. She tapped her foot nervously but tried to cover up her fear by making an impatient face. The teacher, after telling the students to choose partners for coloring time and warning the teacher down the hall to keep an ear open, sat down beside Rebecca and motioned for her to do the same thing.

"My dear, there is nothing to be afraid of. You are not in trouble, I promise," the teacher said in an airy voice. She placed a hand on Rebecca's shoulder. Rebecca sighed with relief but made it subtle so she didn't seem afraid.

"As you may know, there is a new student in our class today. He is very nervous about starting here. I would like you to ask him to partner up with you for today's special coloring project, alright?" Though Rebecca wasn't exactly a model student and got in trouble almost daily, she was wonderful at including everyone in whatever she was doing. If the teacher kept a good eye on her, she knew this arrangement would work out well.

Rebecca's eyes widened. "No! I want to be by myself today! I need this time to color, its imperative!" She had heard her mother use that word one time while on the phone and figured that it meant the same thing as important. Well, she hoped so. "Please, pair him with another kid." She needed today's coloring time more than ever. She was planning a special picture for her grandpa because it was his last day in Domino before he went back to Egypt to continue his archeological dig. He had promised to take Rebecca to the toy store for a going away present and she wanted to present something to him as well more than anything.

"Rebecca, please be considerate. He could use a friend as sweet as you." The teacher was using a patient yet firm tone. It made her message obvious: you can be with him or sit in time-out for the rest of the day.

She sighed in defeat and plastered a dazzling smile onto her face. "I'd love to be with him," she said in a pained tone.

The teacher grinned and stood, motioning for Rebecca to follow. "I'm very pleased Rebecca, as will he. How about I introduce him to you now?" Rebecca shrugged knowing that even if she didn't want to see or work him, she'd be forced to. She hated following others, but was smart enough to know when one's will was needed to be bent.

'It'll be okay, I hope. I'll find a way around this. Nothing will get in the way of my plan!' Stress was beginning to build up inside her, but she shoved it down and kept the feigned smile on her face.

Back inside the classroom, everyone was chatting eagerly with their partner about what sort of collaboration they would do together. Only one boy stood alone in the back right corner of the brightly colored class. His long, raven-black hair and lavender eyes almost made him look girly, but the angle of his facial structure gave him a masculine touch. He twisted his bright yellow jacket nervously between his forefingers as he watched the two come towards him.

"H-Hello, my name's Mokuba. What's yours?" Though his voice quivered slightly, he jumped right to the point and smiled at Rebecca. His gaze never left her face, not even when the teacher cut into whatever Rebecca was planning on saying next to speak to him.

"Mokuba, this will be your partner for today. I hope you two can come up with a very pretty picture to share with the class and work together to form a friendship. Good luck and raise your hand if you need anything." With that, she was off to inspect other student's progress.

Now that they were alone, Rebecca stopped beaming at him. It was hurting her cheeks. She spoke with a stern tone, one that usually allowed her to get her way with things. "Look, I want to draw a gigantic picture of a teddy bear for my grandpa, so that's what we're going to do. Now hand me a brown crayon, please." She was best at coloring bears, so she had decided late last night that she'd make one for him. They were also her favorite animal and made up the huge collection of stuffed animals she had at home.

He looked at her with a frown and replied, "No, I need to draw a specific picture today and it's really important. My big brother is stressed out about work so I want to draw him a Blue Eyes White Dragon card from Duel Monsters!" He grinned at the thought and reached for a blue crayon instead.

Rebecca couldn't believe her ears. "Do you think your brother is more important than my grandpa?" She asked with barely contained rage.

Mokuba thought for a moment before answering honestly. "Well, yes. I love him and I've never even seen your grandpa before."

"I don't care; I want to draw this for him!"

"No, Seto needs a picture from me! I only get to see him in the car when I get picked up because of his work. He has too much homework to see me any other time today, so I need to give it to him right after school!" Mokuba said exasperatedly.

Rebecca scoffed. "Well me either! I have ballet right after school and I can't miss it!"

Mokuba lunged for the paper and tugged it out of Rebecca's grasp. "I'm sorry, but I need to make–" He was stopped, however, because Rebecca had had a similar idea. She too reached for the paper and was now trying to yank it out of Mokuba's strong grip.

'No, it's mine!" With that, Mokuba wrenched the paper free only to discover that it had torn in half. His face paled and his eyes widened to that of saucers. It was as if he never imagined the paper had the ability to rip. He didn't mean to destroy it and now that he thought about it, it was a very mean thing to do with so little time left to draw.

"I… I'm so sorry, I'll get–" He never finished his sentence. Rebecca's crystal blue eyes were beginning to fill with tears and she dropped her head low.

"He's leaving today, my grandpa," she whispered, just barely loud enough for Mokuba to hear. "I won't see him again for who knows how long. I… I always miss him so much… I just want him to be able to remember me…" In an instant, Rebecca had raced out of the room and into the girl's bathroom a few feet away. Mokuba sat staring after her in shock.

'That was a terrible thing for me to do! We should have drawn two pictures! How am I supposed to fix this problem when school's almost over?' Already, there were only had seven minutes left of class before the bell. He tried to think calmly, but stress was eating away at him. He didn't want to involve the teacher in this, not at all. She'd over-react, as many adults did, and one or both of them would be in trouble. Seto had taught him that one. He sat quietly wondering what his brother would do in such a situation.

"Remember Mokie, all problems that are formed must contain some sort of solution."

He said that a lot to him. It was then that a light bulb went off in Mokuba's head. He instinctively grabbed the brown crayon from his box nearby and raised his hand high.

"Yes Mokuba?" The teacher asked, oblivious to Rebecca's absence because of the sheer mass of the students in the classroom.

"May I please have another sheet of paper?"


Rebecca sniffled and wiped her eyes with yet another paper towel. Her grandpa had taught her that crying in front of others was a very rude thing to do for it simply troubled them to see her upset. She respected him enough to remember that rule.

Rebecca twirled a strand of blond hair in deep thought. "What can I do? I won't see Grandpa for another year! I can't miss this opportunity, no matter what. I need to go back…"

She frowned at her reflection. Her pigtails were drooping and she had stained her rosy pink coat with droplets. Breathing deeply, she smoothed her skirt one last time and turned to exit the bathroom.

'I guess a picture isn't too important for him…' But she didn't believe this statement for a second. She just wanted to show her grandpa how much she loved him, and thanks to Mokuba, she wouldn't have the time to put in her full effort.


"It's finished!" Mokuba was beaming at his swift handiwork. "All I need now is to show Rebecca, she'll love it not to mention forgive me."

As if on cue, Rebecca entered. The teacher intervened immediately, finally noticing that she had left. After being asked where she went and why she didn't tell her beforehand, Rebecca took her place next to Mokuba who was grinning madly. He had the paper flipped over.

"What's that?" She pointed to the non-ripped paper and his smile grew larger.

"It's just a little surprise for you, an apology." He flipped over the paper to reveal his artwork.

Rebecca looked at it and turned it many different directions. She flipped the paper back over as if expecting something else, but was left looking at the scribble. Whatever it was, it had an ovular body, three dots for a pair of eyes and a nose, a few slashes for ears, and a rather large smile.

"It's a bear." She stated this with uncertainty as if expecting to be corrected.

"Yup, that's right! Now you can give it to your grandpa!" Rebecca had a lot of things she wanted to do to Mokuba at this point. She wanted to yell at him for drawing such crude artwork. She wanted to kick him for ripping the paper in the first place. She wanted to break down and cry her heart out at the fact that there was only three minutes left of class and that it wasn't nearly enough time to make a new picture. Instead of that, she paused.

She thought.

'This is the first time anyone has tried to make me a picture ever. He made a drawing for me! He actually tried to apologize…' She looked back at him, at the sparkle in his glowing eyes.

"Do you like it?" He asked excitedly.

It was impossible to disappoint such a look. She took one more moment to compose herself before saying, "I love it, thanks." She leaned over and did something very strange for her. She gave him a small hug. He was startled at first, but then returned it graciously. They made it quick so no one else could see and give a rude comment. Quickly, she scribbled a pink bow onto the bear's herd and then stuffed the drawing in her coat pocket. It was a collaboration drawing.

"Hey Rebecca." Mokuba looked over at her with pleading eyes. "Do you want to help me color a Blue Eyes for Seto tomorrow?"

'He's being so nice to me…' She grinned, a real one this time. "Sure, why not?"

"Rebecca, darling, do you know what you want yet?"


After two hours of ballet, Rebecca's grandpa had finally taken her to Domino National Toy Store. Kids were seen running along aisles, crying when they were refused a toy, and laughing with pure joy. For Rebecca, this store was more than just any child's paradise; it was a place that held many special memories. Grandpa always took her here to buy a stuffed animal, and she chose a bear every single time. Her vast collection, along with the ones contributed from other times, could barely fit in her bedroom.

She played with her hair and scanned the shelf in concentration. This was a life-changing decision for her and one that wouldn't be made up quickly.

Her grandpa sighed, but didn't rush her thought process. Instead, he said, "I'll be by the cash register in the front of the store. Come when you're ready." He tickled her stomach making Rebecca giggle. She quickly straightened herself out and gave him a stern look.

"I'm a big girl now, Grandpa. I'm not ticklish! I also make fast decisions, so I'll see you soon!" She tried to look mature by standing on her heels, making her grandpa chuckle.

"Alright big girl, I'll see you soon." With that, he was gone.

'I wish it were as easy as I said it would be… I don't know which one to get!' She picked up a fluffy snow-white teddy and cuddled its soft fur. Most of her bears were brown or black, so this would be a nice change. Just as she turned to leave, a stand caught her eye. It read, "Duel Monsters plush toys; on sale for a limited amount of time." She ran over and looked through the deep tub and saw a lot of her favorite monsters.

"There's the Witch of the Black Forest and Sangan and–" She stopped and stared downward. At the very bottom of the pile sat a Blue Eyes White Dragon plush. It looked lonely and forgotten which must have been the case seeing as it was one of the most popular Duel Monster cards in the game. Instantly, Rebecca knew what she had to do. She patted her pocket and felt Mokuba's drawing from deep inside. This was for him.

Several minutes later, Rebecca met back up with her grandpa and gave him a big hug while he bought the toy for her. He handed the bag over to Rebecca to carry as they made their way to Grandpa's navy blue Chevrolet. Once there, he asked, "Why didn't you get another teddy bear? I thought you had a collection started."

She beamed at him. "It's not for me, it's a present! A thank you present for my new friend!" She paused. "Speaking of gifts, I have one for you, Grandpa! Here it is." She handed him the slip of paper for him to unfold. When he smoothed it out, he looked over at her curiously.

"What's this, a bear?"

"Yup, my new friend Mokuba made it just for you! It's a teddy bear so you'll remember me when you go back to Egypt tonight." Her hair was ruffled from the front seat as her grandpa set the picture in a safe place.

"Honey, I could never forget you no matter how hard I tried. I'm just glad that you made a new friend. It was very mature of you to buy him something instead of buying something for yourself, so I'm proud of you too." He glanced outside at the pale night sky. 'I'm also glad that she finally made a friend, one that cares for her. With her strong-minded personality, it seemed like an impossible task… She's finally growing up a little.'

Rebecca yawned and stretched her arms high in the air. "Thanks Grandpa. Will you come to my next ballet recital?"

"Of course I'll try to make it." He looked over at Rebecca's tired grin.

"I love you Grandpa."

He sighed and looked into her fluttering eyes. 'It's getting late… I need to get her home and into bed. She's such a sweet girl once people break her cold exterior. I'll miss her so much...'

"I love you too, dear. I love you too."


Hikari: R&R!

~midknightXXX