Somewhere over the Pacific on a Plane
Yugi let himself fall asleep after a few hours in flight. It would be a while until they reached Los Angeles then Yugi had an hour until his next flight to Houston then another hour to kill until the next flight to New York. He should be there within the next twenty-four hours. It was fine, he didn't mind flying, what he did mind was waiting another twenty-four hours to get to Anzu. What am I going to do when I see her? How am I going to find her? He thought about reaching her through the directory, or perhaps Kaiba could help him. His thoughts were interrupted by someone tapping on his shoulder. He opened his eyes and found an older man, maybe in his late thirties, smiling at him. He was obviously a rich man and seemed well educated and the smile on his face made Yugi want to tell him anything. Although something in the back of Yugi's mind told him to stay away.
"Excuse me, are you Yugi Mouto?" Oh no, here we go.
"Yes I am," The man leaned over and offered his hand.
"I'm Thaddeus Gray," Yugi shook his hand out of politeness and made it clear that he would rather be left alone.
Thaddeus, however, didn't take the hint.
"I'm a big fan, would you mind if I got your autograph?" Thaddeus didn't seem like the type to want an autograph from anyone much less Yugi, but he didn't argue as he took the airline napkin Grey was offering and signed his name.
"You're a fan?" Yugi asked quizzically. He was intrigued by Mr. Grey since the name struck a chord of familiarity.
"Why yes," Thaddeus said happily now that he had Yugi's undivided attention. "You see, I am a CEO of a gaming corporation and I have been interested in you since you defeated Pegasus." Yugi was set back when Grey mentioned being interested in him. Does that mean he's been following me? "Don't take me wrong Mr. Mouto," Thaddeus said seeing the look of disruption on Yugi's face. "I haven't been stalking you," He chuckled. "Just been watching you as you've won duel after duel, you're a hot commodity Yugi and you work really well with kids which is a good thing since the main buyers of the product we sell are for children."
Yugi remembered the conversation Kaiba had on the phone with a man named Grey. This had to be that Grey, the man that wanted Yugi's contract. If that was the case then Yugi felt he had to make his stance clear and for some reason defend Kaiba.
Not that Kaiba wanted to be defended.
"Mr. Grey," Yugi started. He wanted to be polite to this man and didn't want to displease him, but Yugi had to make himself clear. "I'm sorry to say, but I don't want to switch companies—"
"Oh, no dear boy," Thaddeus interrupted a smile on his face. "I'm merely saying that I am a fan. I'm not asking you to join my company, I just wanted to say hello," Yugi was relieved with the look on Mr. Grey's face. He looked contented and happy and Yugi suddenly wanted to believe that this man really was a fan of his.
Mr. Grey turned back into his seat after excusing himself from the conversation and put his BOSE headphones on and started to lightly hum an opera song. Yugi let the subject die and let his mind wonder off thinking about Anzu.
New York
Anzu hadn't gotten a call back from Yugi. He had to have heard her message by now with having a whole day pass. Anzu felt herself deflate and started to feel despair creep back into her mind. It's really over then… She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down but when she thought about everything she had been through she started to unravel.
She was going to visit her mother in the hospital today. She needed to see her, but the fear of seeing her hooked up to machines and an IV terrified her. I can't see her like that again. I can't. She had memories of her mother fighting against cancer before and she didn't want to relive them, but her family needed her. They needed her to be strong and be the rock for the family again.
Anzu made up her mind finally after wiping her face of tears. She looked at her vanity mirror and didn't like what she saw. Her face was red and poofy, her long brown hair was matted and dull, and her blue eyes streaked with red.
"I look like death," she told her mirror self. With new resolve she pulled herself up and walked into her bathroom to take a much needed shower.
Domino Police Department
Honda had been able to face work the next day when his partner, Kairie came in with a box of doughnuts.
"You know you're reinforcing the stereotype," he told her as he took two from the box and set them on his desk. Kairie gave him a look that said she didn't care.
"They're delicious and a pick-me-up on this job is necessary," she joked as she set the box on the front table so cops could come by and grab them on their way in. She looked at Honda and felt admiration for her partner. He looked stoic and calm as if nothing could touch him, she was glad to have him as a friend.
Honda nodded in agreement as he bit into a doughnut.
"You know that knife from that burglary a few days ago?"
"The one from Yugi Mouto's apartment? Yeah I heard about it, why?"
"I think it might be important to another case that's been open for a while," he didn't say anything else which drove Kairie nuts.
"What's on your mind Honda?" she asked accusingly getting in his face "Spill," Usually he would tell her when something caught his attention. His instincts were always right on when it came to police work, she knew that from their days in the academy. Honda however just shook his head and got up from his chair as he grabbed his last doughnut and shoved it in his mouth.
"L a—fer" he muffled some sort of response that could have been "later" as he left his partner confused.
Police Department- Evidence Locker
"Hey Mickey!" Honda yelled to the man behind the plated glass to get his attention. Mickey who was previously jamming out to his iPod music and air-drumming finally paid attention to Honda.
"Oh hey Honda!" The middle-aged man was an old friend of Honda's father who worked with him on the force. Honda had pictures of Mickey and his father in their police uniforms grinning ear to ear. When they were young the men were in top shape always looking ready for any situation. The years hadn't been kind to Mickey, he had grown a beer belly and his face had become haggard. Despite his rugged appearance he always smiled when Honda came around.
"What can I do for you Honda?"
"I need item H423, I'm working on a theory,"
"Alright, let see…" Mickey began to punch numbers into his computer. "Ok, I see what you're lookin for. I'll be right back." Mickey went to the filing lockers behind him where Honda could still see him. Honda relaxed against the counter rubbing his temples. He hadn't gotten any sleep last night the murder of Sasaki and the burglary in Yugi's apartment running through his mind. Mickey's yell caused Honda to snap back into attention.
"What the hell?" Mickey yelled.
"What's wrong?"
"It's gone!"
"Maybe I gave you the wrong number," Honda assured. He looked through his note pad and looked at the number again. No, it was correct.
"No, the number you gave me was right. It's just gone! The entire shelf has been ransacked!" Mickey's alarming voice set Honda on edge. Honda knew the security behind the evidence lockers, the department had to keep it locked tight to ensure that the possibility of police officers becoming addicted to the various drugs didn't break in. It was sad, but it happened.
Which meant someone broke into the evidence locker and stolen the knife.
New York
Anzu felt physically better after she cleaned herself up. She felt her heard race as she went to her cell phone to see if she had any missed calls or messages. Her heart fell when her phone was blank and the realization that Yugi wasn't going to call her, now or ever, hit her. She felt let down and even more depressed than she did earlier, then mentally slapped herself out of her stupor. If we're really not friends any more then fine! She didn't have time for people that didn't want her around. She needed to check on her mother and find Vinny anyway, but then her phone buzzed signifying a call. She frantically moved to answer it.
"Yugi?"
However the voice on the other line wasn't Yugi.
"Uh, no this is Vinny. How are you holding up girl?" She flustered initially then she shrugged it off and lightened her voice. "Want me to meet you at the hospital? I get off in an hour," she said ignoring the fact that Anzu answered the phone thinking it was someone else.
"Uh, I'm fine," she answered deflated. "I'll be there in a little while. Meet me in the cafeteria? Dad wants me to get him something to eat."
"Sure, see you then," They hung up leaving Anzu in an uncomfortable silence.
JFK Airport
Yugi was met with no more admirers when he stepped off the plane in New York. Twice he had been challenged to duels in LA and once in Houston. He even indulged the one challenger that was a small kid and gave him a duel card and an autographed picture that they took of him and the kid smiling holding up their duel disks. After he was almost late to his next flight from Houston to New York, Yugi learned a lesson and pulled his hair back into a pony-tail and covered it with a random hat he bought in a gift shop while in the Houston airport.
No one had bothered him since.
He breathed a sigh of relieve when the cab he called pulled up. He loaded his things in the trunk, loaded Lady in the side seat, and got into the back of the cab to finally let himself relax.
"You running from the law?" The cabbie asked perturbed while looking at him in the mirror.
"Huh?" Yugi asked confused. The cabbie turned around and looked at his occupant.
"The conspicuous get-up and the way you walkin. You walk like you got the devil on your heels." Yugi answered with the first thought that popped in his head. He wasn't sure why he thought it, but it made sense if he wanted the cabbie off his back.
He didn't need anyone knowing he was in New York until he checked in with the dueling school.
"Naw, ex-wife." The cabbie nodded in agreement, accepting the answer.
"I know all about ex-wives," The cabbie turned around in the driver's seat and started the car. "Where you headed?"
"Waldorf Astoria," At that the cabbie laughed.
New York Memorial Hospital
Anzu was in the hospital cafeteria waiting for her order number to be called. When she sat down and looked around she didn't see Vinny yet and noticed the lunch rush must've already come through since she was almost completely alone. The blue walls the surrounded her made her think of her situation and her mother's condition. When the thought struck her, she couldn't help it; she let the tears fall freely and laid her head down in her arms on the table. She didn't want to have anyone see her cry so openly in public. For the next few minutes she let the tears and her worry and frustration out, until she felt a presence next to her. When she looked up expecting to see Vinny she was completely blind-sighted by surprise.
"Mr. Carmichael?" He was there standing with a Kleenex and a look of sadness on his face. She took it and moved it back and forth in her hands out of habit. "What are you doing here?"
"I heard what happened through Vinny," he offered no more information, like how he heard it from Vinny. "I'm so sorry about your mother Anzu,"
Anzu nodded and let him console her. She needed comfort from someone, anyone who was offering it. When her order was up he went to pick it up for her and continued to talk to her with a soothing and understanding voice.
"I appreciate your comfort, but what are you doing here Mr. Carmichael? Why come all the way over here to see me?" He smiled, taking no offence.
"It saddens me when a beautiful dancer like you is so sad and forlorn." Anzu smiled despite her inner turmoil. "Vinny is an old friend of mine before I became CEO a few months ago. When I asked about you she told me about your mother."
"Is that why she's mad at you?" Anzu asked, not stopping herself. She regretted it when she saw the sadness that crossed Darin's handsome features.
"We had a huge fight before I found out about my promotion to the company CEO. She didn't even know that I was the CEO that was in the audience, but no that's not what ended our friendship," He paused. "We had a falling out when I took our other friends side during their break-up. I would have stayed neutral if I knew I would lose Vinny as a friend."
"I'm sorry I asked," Anzu said disappointed in herself for being so nosy. "But I'm sure she would still like to be friends," Anzu said cheerfully.
Darin shook his head but smiled when Anzu's face lit up, temporarily forgetting her sad situation.
"We just don't bring it up, wounds are still raw," With that he got up and offered his good-byes and comfort anytime Anzu asked for it. "I better go before Vinny gets here, don't want to stir up anything," His voice was sad, but his face was smiling when he said good-bye to Anzu.
"You should fix the friendship. It hurts when you lose a close friend," Anzu said from personal experience.
"I will," he kissed her hand "Someday,"
She was grateful he was here to have a shoulder she could cry on after Yugi had let her down for the last time. She was in a better mood to face her father and mother when he left. She was prepared to be the family rock during this tough time. When Vinny arrived a few minutes later, Anzu didn't say anything about Darin or about talking to him afraid to hurt Vinny's feelings. When Anzu reached for her father's food she noticed the napkin Darin had given her.
It had his phone number on it.
