Title: Stranger Things Have Happened

Author: Sakura Takanouchi

Summary: "It's not acting- I really do hate you," she spat. "We have to follow the script," Seto reminded her. "Eventually, your character falls in love with me." He smirked at her shocked expression. "I wonder, will you be acting then?" Setoxwho?

A/N: Wow, many reviewers and birthday wishes!! Thanks to everyone, you guys are so motivating! I'm sorry that this took so long… real life gets in the way… a lot… anyways; I hope you all enjoy it!

Disclaimer: The characters are not mine to own, but this highly original plot so is (pshaw…. Also, if any pop culture references exist in here, don't own them)

Chapter Nine: Anything but Cloud number Nine

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So why did it bother her? Was she striving for his good opinion or something? The thought almost made her laugh. So why did she cover it up? Was she afraid of being seen? She wasn't sure, and didn't want to admit anything to herself just yet.

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Serenity leaned back into her comfortable chair and waited for what was to come with breathless anticipation. Mokuba had cut the scene for the final time, and everyone went from nervous chatter to easygoing laughter. It made her smile, looking from one person to the others. It finally struck her, then, just how much time that they would be spending together in the future. And, oddly enough, a small part of her might just be looking forward to—

"What are you doing here?"

Serenity's happy reveries were interrupted by a disdainful male voice. She looked up, her neck craning to meet the iron gaze of the CEO-turned-actor. "I was watching the scene; what's wrong with that?"

Seto looked like he wasn't expecting that sort of answer. "Well, we should have been informed. I wasn't aware that this was an open set—"

"Look, if you have a problem with me being here, just say it!" She hissed, tactfully trying not to draw the attention of the others in the room. "I know working in front of other people is difficult to get used to. I hate painting in front of other people."

She was struggling to reach out to the man, to heal those friction burns created during their previous encounters, yet he didn't see it that way. "I don't have any problem." He strode away, his visage twisted into a scowl.

Witty response. Serenity at least was able to relax a bit more now that he had left. She wondered briefly what sorts of thoughts could even run through that man's mind; but pushed that aside as more of a curse than a wish. Another shadow fell over her; she looked into the gently smiling face of Yami. "Are you doing alright? You look a little bewildered."

She managed a smile at her companion. "I'm fine, but thanks for asking, Yami."

"I think we're done here for the day." He crouched down a little to converse at her level. "No one would blame you if you went home and rested there." He winked at her as he relayed that Mokuba told him that they were having a photo shoot the next day. "For the publicity-posters and stuff."

She giggled at the thought of herself; a giant cardboard person at a movie theater. "Sounds like fun."

"Mokuba thought it would ease some of the tension," Yami said, agreeing with her. "We should be like a family, especially once we're on location." He paused, lost in thought for a moment. "Anyways, you should be at your own place." He shooed her from her chair, walking her through the door.

"Don't you know, my place is this place?" She laughed as his eyebrows quirked at the information. "My apartment is in another entrance to this building. What a commute, right?"Laughter really was the best medicine; Serenity felt better by the time she was home.


"Now, you guys are best friends! Act like it!"

Mokuba's voice was obnoxiously loud normally, and with a megaphone, it echoed off the walls, ensuring that everyone in downtown Domino knew of his commands. The window shades were drawn closed, but the room was almost bright as day with all the specialized lights and the continuous flash of cameras. In the middle of the room, in front of an all-white backdrop, Isis, Yami, Serenity, and Duke were standing and smiling for the camera. It was Mokuba's idea for a series of group shots, so the four friends had their arms slung around each other's shoulders, laughing as if sharing a secret held between them. Mokuba was doing his best to motivate them, but what he didn't know was that he was succeeding—they were laughing about him.

"I wonder if that megaphone has a Darth Vader switch," Duke joked, provoking another round of laughter as the cameras captured the moment on film.

"Yeah… 'Seto, I am your brother,'" Yami joked. After several more minutes, the cameras stopped momentarily as they changed configurations, with pictures taken of all of them separately, and some staged pictures of the group. It wasn't until the sound of the door swinging open hushed the group, and in walked an unusually grumpy Seto Kaiba, clad in a designer dress shirt and dark slacks, looking every tailored inch the young executive.

"Hey, Seto, you look great, so why so exceptionally foul?" Mokuba greeted his brother unfortunately through the microphone, thus amplifying the words for everyone in the room to hear. "What? Come again?"

"Your. People. Put. Cosmetics. On. My. Face." The words were gritted out with resistance. The rest of the cast covered their amusement; he obviously had never done this before.

"Embrace it, man!" Duke came up to him, beckoning him over to the camera setting, where Serenity was finishing a solo photo shoot, staged with different expressions. Seto smoothed the crease of his shirt back to perfection, scowling at the man who would be comfortable with that unnatural powder and whatever else Mokuba's costume and makeup people had put on him.

"Okay, this one is for Yami, Seto, and Serenity!" Mokuba called through the megaphone. "Now do something cute… Serenity, how about you and Seto stand back to back and look like you're trying to ignore each other. Yami, you're trying to keep the peace. Break!"

The three actors tried their best to achieve Mokuba's loud vision, trying multiple configurations and expressions until he was satisfied. "I can't concentrate," Serenity grumbled audibly. "Somebody is wearing some very stifling lotion."

"Not. My. Fault," Seto hissed. They were doing a shoot with just the two of them, facing each other.

"We need some different facial expressions from you guys! This is a romantic comedy, look flirtatious or something!"

Mokuba's demands could not have come at a worse time. "You heard him, get into character," Seto smirked. Serenity let out a short yelp as ice-cold fingers gripped her arms right above the elbows, bringing her even closer to him. "What?" His form towered over her by almost a foot, his mouth was situated near her ear. He whispered into her ear, his voice low yet unwavering. "Can't take the heat?"

Bright eyes matched his, a sly smile to counteract the slim smirk. "You should be the one who's worried." She had to give him credit, he hardly flinched when her arms snaked up to rest on his shoulders, although his eyes betrayed his surprise at her taking things a step further. It might have looked like they were slow-dancing.

Serenity's eyes twinkled with mischief as her fingers played with the hair growing at the nape of his neck; leading to only the most natural conclusion. "Is the great Seto Kaiba ticklish?"

"You wouldn't dare," he growled. She yelped again as his arms moved to circle her waist; she doubted she was in any position to make threats now. His eyes glinted; "should I be asking you the same question?"

She was speechless; he chuckled a little at her tenacity; but of course he was invincible at any battle of wits. He had to commend her, though; he was beginning to realize just how much nerve this slip of a girl really had. "You still smell like funny lotion."

She still had a long way to go. "You know, I'm starting to think that you like it."

"Aaaaaand…cut!" Mokuba's voice cut through the tension like a knife with the help of his megaphone. Serenity couldn't speak for the lump forming in her throat; she felt his arms move away from her as if she could burn him. Her hands hung limply at her side, the force of gravity only reinforcing the saying 'limp noodle.' Never had she felt more confused. "That was great!" Mokuba shouted jubilantly. "We got a bunch of really good shots. We can splice them all and make some really great posters and cutout and stuff. It'll take the country by storm! I'll be sure to sneak you some copies."

His words stunned her. Serenity, you dummy. "They're going to be… everywhere?"

"Of course! Movie theatres, Shopping centers, newspapers…"

The last thing Serenity wanted was pictures of herself and Seto Kaiba embracing splashed all over the city. She knew that Joey wasn't the most informed person, but he was bound to pick up a newspaper sometime. Not to mention the trailers on TV… Why hadn't she thought of this sooner?

"How long?"

Mokuba responded to her vague query with an "hmmm?"

"Until they go up, I mean."

"Oh! It should take another few weeks, and the trailers can't come out until after we get back from location," he answered wisely, waving to the cameramen who were already packing up and preparing to leave. "Are you excited about location? We'll be filming for about ten days, it'll be great!" Serenity smiled weakly. She still hadn't figured out how she was going to tell Joey and Mai…without letting on about the whole 'movie' thing. And there was still so much to do for the wedding! She felt a slight pang at leaving Mai to wrestle with caterers and decorators, who knew what countless things, had to happen to get their special day just perfect.

"Serenity, snap out of it. I was wondering if you wanted to go eat with Seto and I." Mokuba twisted his torso, scanning the room. "Where is he, anyway?"

Probably washing his face. The thought made her giggle. They would probably go to a fancy restaurant, but the awkward factor would probably spoil the great food. It was well enough, but Serenity didn't want to be in debt to either Kaiba. "It's a kind offer, but I'm meeting Tea to eat and help shop for her wedding present."

Mokuba's ears perked up upon hearing the magic word. "Wedding? Whose?"

He didn't know? Of course he wouldn't know. "Joey and Mai's." She couldn't help the beam of pride that surfaced at the words. It was contagious, Mokuba returned the warm sentiments very sincerely. "He finally proposed several months ago and their wedding is planned shortly after we end filming." Her teeth showed again, pleased that Joey was finally able to really start to build the family that he's always wanted. Mokuba was smiling too; a happy sparkle in his eye. The cast bid each other farewell, each leaving independently, until only the brothers Kaiba remained.

"Geez, Seto, how long does it take to wash your face?"


The sounds of classical music filtered through the apartment; giving added depth and dimension to the small space. The only other sound was the scratch of a bristle brush on canvas. Serenity was hard at work finishing up the painting that was to be her present to Joey and Mai. She was almost done; the painting was taking a modern perspective that she knew Mai would appreciate; several wavy green and blue lines snaked their way across the canvas, and white and yellow shapes were splashed about the top, forming a sort of geometric garden.

Brushes tipped with paint stirred in a jar full of water as Serenity wiped the burgeoning beads of sweat from her forehead. The painting was truly remarkable; she was proud of her work. A new brush swirled through black paint; with a signature and a date, the painting was complete. She hoped that they would like it. She knew that they would like it.

From her position at the easel, Serenity had a clear view of the open door to her bedroom, and the half-full suitcase, navy blue and with more zippers than she knew what to do with. It was going to be a long night… by pure instinct she reached for the coffeemaker.

Exhausted and nursing a steaming cup of coffee, Serenity collapsed onto her futon. She slowly alternated long sips of the warm beverage with long stares at the phone dock resting on her coffee table. Nothing seemed to calm her nerves. I'm having a staring contest with an inanimate object… what's wrong with me? She had to remind herself to drift back to the task at hand. What would they think? Then again, why would she need anyone's opinion? She wasn't the one getting married, she didn't need anyone's blessing. Except her own. The surface of the drink grew cold as she waited for her inner strength to call. She would have to summon it on her own.

"Hello, you've reached the home of Serenity Wheeler. I'm sorry, but I'll be out of town and unreachable for the next 10 days. Please leave a message and I'll get back to you as soon as possible."


"And the reason that you haven't asked me before this very moment is…? I'm dying to hear it."

Seto's wry wit could not be more ill-timed. His younger brother practically withered under the gaze. It wasn't the malicious gaze, thank goodness. Just one second of that could make his hair curl. It was the you-messed-up-and-so-I'm-going-to-make-you-suffer-because-I-think-its-funny gaze. It might even be patented.

"It…kinda slipped my mind, honest! That sorta thing happens to people!"

Side effects of the stare: induces babbling, perspiration, and an inability to produce a coherent thought. Is there any prescription to stop it? Mokuba doubted it would help his case if he slipped on a pair of polarized sunglasses.

"Okay, listen, Seto. The rest of the crew, everyone, is already there, setting up. We just need the space for the main ensemble and I. I've even sent Kako ahead to get everything ready in my place."

"Good thing, too, because there is no way I'd be letting her onto my plane, she'll probably spill something on the leather seats—"

"It's 6 people. I know for a fact that your jet can fit twice that many people, so there's plenty of room for luggage and things. I mean, it's not like you have to fly us across the pacific yourself, there's plenty of people for hire to do that. We'll even pay for the fuel; we just need the physical plane. Please, Seto? Pretty please with a steak at every meal and a bigger KC logo in the credits on top?"

Seto scowled at his younger brother. He was giving him the look. He knew that one well, yet it seemed impossible to counteract. Not the you're-so-mean-I'm-going-to-cry-if-you-don't-get-me-that-rock-band-video-game look (which was guilty for assault of the first degree to his wallet), but the puppy-dog eyes look. He couldn't even look away. Even if he was going to concede, he'd never give Mokuba the satisfaction that it was that easy.

"Fine," he grumbled as Mokuba whooped for joy. "But you know what this means…"

Uh oh… the stare with the superfluous name was bordering on malicious. Duck and cover, everybody. "That you get your own row in the front of the plane?"

"Since I'm in control of transportation, you have to divulge the ridiculous secret of where we're actually going. Now," Seto was enjoying this much more than he should. Mokuba's voice had almost broken on that last phrase. "Tell me everything."

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A/N: So that's the highly anticipated chapter nine of Stranger Things Have Happened! I'm so sorry it's taken so long… this is ridiculous. I hope to get the next chapter of Synergy (check it please!) out in the next week too, so stay tuned! Good news is that I did actually go to a wedding while I was in hiding from this place, so now I have legit information about the ceremony and after-ceremony-ness. Oh, there are some good things planned… *cackles* Anyways, muchas gracias to Kako, Blueshadows2010, Sakurelle, Sexii Lexii, Unique Art, Storm 38, UnlessAbsolutelyNecessary, iCraft, Yami no Game, BelovedDelusion, and – Silent I c e Vampire – for the lovely and inspiring reviews. I love all of you guys!

That said, please drop me a line for this chapter; what you liked, thought needed improvement, was hilariously funny, etc. I'll be hard at work for Chapter 10!!!

Sakura Takanouchi