Note: I do not write violence well. …At all. You will notice this chapter hops scenes. That's because I tried to write violence and action and I failed. If anyone feels they could write the scenes for me, I would greatly appreciate it. …Because this chapter irks me with its jump-here-jump-there. Anyway, on with the chapter!

Chapter 10

Joey lifted one ear lazily as he heard the doorknob click, then raised his head, frowning. "Time to go already?"

Alisa crossed her arms, leaning against the wall. "Yes. Let's get goin', puppy."

He sighed and squirmed out of Seto's arms, grabbing his shirt. "Coming." He walked over to his cousin and frowned. "I don't want you gettin' hurt, Alisa."

"That's funny. I didn't want ya gettin' shot," she replied, smirking, before turning to go out the door again. "Come on, Joey, before ev'ryone wakes up."

"Ah…" The blond shot a hesitant look back at the brunet before going back and placing a soft kiss on his cheek. "Goodbye, Seto."

Seto's lips curved upward into a tiny smile. He snuggled deeper into his bed and sighed. "Puppy…"

Joey bit his bottom lip and tucked the blankets around his shoulders, then turned and walked out the door. He looked up at his cousin with moist brown eyes. "You wrote the letter, right?"

She nodded shortly. "Yes. It's on the table. I left a pot of cocoa on the stove so Nadine could heat it up." She turned sharply as she heard a small whimper and scowled. "Loop! Go lie down!" The wolf whined and slunk back into the room with Kai and Nadine, his tail curled up beneath his stomach. She sighed forlornly and walked toward the door quickly. "Let's just go. Please."

"Okay." The blond shut the door after the canine, added another letter to the table, then turned and followed her out the door.

-x-x-x-

Seto yawned softly and reached out to lay an arm around his puppy, then frowned when his hand only found cold, baron sheets. He opened his eyes in confusion and lifted his head, then sat up quickly when he realized his puppy wasn't there. Alisa couldn't have meant that early of a start! …Could she?

He jumped out of bed quickly, running for the kitchen and hoping to see his puppy there, wearing that cute little pink apron and watching his cooking intently. Instead, all he saw was Nadine sobbing into her brother's chest, a piece of paper crushed in her hand. Mokuba was sitting across the table from them, looking sullen. Ryou had his head bowed, his brown eyes dull and lifeless.

"What happened?" When he was not answered immediately, Seto scowled. "What happened?"

"Alisa and Joey left early this morning," Kai replied, not moving his gaze from a spot on the wall. "They left a letter saying that if they didn't come back in three days, they were probably dead. If they died, Nadine and I are supposed to get Alisa's house. Joey said for Nadine to take care of you and Mokuba because you can't cook for shit." He finally turned his orange gaze on the CEO. "He left another letter for you."

Seto grabbed the letter and ripped it open quickly, eager to see what his puppy had left him. What he read stunned him, then saddened him greatly.

Dear Seto,

Hey, it's your puppy. I don't know if I'm going to come back to you. I know I promised, but… I don't know if this is one I can keep. I wish I could for sure promise that I'd come back to you, but I can't. I'm sorry. I just want you to know that you made me feel special for maybe one of the first times in my life. I thank you for that.

I think that if we'd had a little more time, I might have fallen in love with you. I guess it's a good thing I had to leave, huh? After all, you wouldn't want to be seen around with a stupid mutt. I mean, the only reason you're sleeping with me now is because I begged you to. I'm just street trash anyway. You can find better than me, after all. You're Seto Kaiba.

I'm watching you sleep as I write this right now. You're so beautiful when you sleep. And not a girly kind of beautiful; I mean you're a masculine kind of beautiful, with your pale skin and brown hair and your long eyelashes. You're like a porcelain doll, too fragile and clean to touch with my dirty hands. I wish I could find out what you see when you think of me. Probably something about dogs and third-rate duelists, knowing you.

I'm glad I got this chance with you though, Seto. I got to see a different side of you, and you got to see a different side of me. I hoped you liked the other side of me. I usually don't show people how much of a housewife I can be. …I… I hope you have the best life ever, Seto, and I hope Mokuba grows up to be a good kid.

And I'm having Nadine cook for you guys. You'll kill yourselves otherwise.

Yours truly,

Joey

P.S.—I think I may have just made myself love you.

Seto closed his eyes tightly and bowed his head. "Damn you, you stupid mutt!"

-x-x-x-

Alisa hissed in pain and slammed her fist into one of the metal walls, clutching a hand to the wound seeping blood slowly. "Damn it!"

Joey hovered behind her nervously. "Are you gonna be okay, Alisa? I thought we got 'em all."

"One o' the bastards is still out there waitin' to blow our heads off. Fuckin' ass. I swear t' God I'm gonna rip 'is intestines out!"

"Well, we have to go out and take care of him, otherwise the others…" he trailed off, letting the sentence hang in the air.

She snarled and grabbed his shirt, dragging him closer. "Do not let 'im leave alive, Joey. You'll never get a minute of peace. Now go take care of 'im. I don't have the energy."

He nodded slightly, brows furrowing together in worry, before turning to slink out of the room.

Alisa slid down the wall and laid her head against it, her eyes slowly drooping to a close. She continued watching him until he was finally out of sight, then fell limp against the wall.

-x-x-x-

Seto narrowed his eyes at the screen of his laptop before he slammed it shut. He couldn't concentrate. Every time he started trying to work, he'd see a vision of Joey shot, or Joey in pain, or Joey crying, reaching out for him—

Worse were the visions he got of Joey clinging to his cousin's lifeless body, sobbing, as a faceless figure advanced on him with a gun—

"AAAGH!" The alarm clock nearby met a painful end as it shattered against the wall.

-x-x-x-

Joey whimpered and dragged the limp body in his arms closer to the house in the distance. "Come on, 'lisa, we're almost there. It's not that far. Come on." He patted her hair absently as he paused to catch his breath. "Everything's gonna be okay. You're gonna be okay." He looked over at the house, then sighed and began pulling his cousin toward it once more. "We're gonna be okay."

-x-x-x-

BAM

"OhmiGod, the wolf's going insane!" Kai exclaimed, jumping as Loop ran head-first into the door leading outside. He let out a squawk of disbelief when the wolf repeated the action, ramming his skull into the door with the intent to break it down or die trying. "It's trying to kill itself!"

Seto rolled his eyes and stood from the couch. "He wants outside. He probably has to piss or something." He opened the door and watched the wolf race out, frowning slightly when he showed no sign of stopping. "Loop…?" His gaze followed the canine silently before he let out a curse and began after him. "Shit! Ryou, keep the kids distracted. Kai, come with me."

"Huh?" Kai looked after him, then stood, following him quickly. "What's wrong?" As soon as he made it outside and his gaze landed on what the brunet had seen, he gasped softly. "Joey!"

-x-x-x-

Joey sobbed and hugged his cousin close, burying his face in her shoulder. "We're almost there, 'lisa. We're almost there. We're gonna be okay. You're gonna be okay." He hissed as something came up beside him and curled around his cousin protectively. "No." He growled as he felt someone pulling at him and tried to cling to his cousin. "NO!"

"Let go of her, Joey. Let go."

He sobbed and grabbed for his cousin again, even as he was pulled away from her. "No! No, don't take her away! I need her! Please don't take her away from me!"

"Come on, puppy." A gentle hand on his head, stroking his ears, rubbing his scalp. "Let's go inside." He began to relax, despite how much he didn't want to. "…She… she… was shot… in the siiiide!" he wailed, turning and clinging to the brunet. "She told me she didn't have the energy to go on and I—I just left her theeere!"

Seto sighed and pulled the blond closer. "Don't cry, puppy. She wouldn't want you to cry."

The blond sobbed into the older teen's shirt, clenching his jacket in his fists. "I could've helped her! If I hadn't left her, she'd—"

"Stop it, puppy. There was nothing you could do," the CEO stated sharply, scowling. "It's not your fault."

Joey nuzzled closer to him. "But—"

"Ah… She may still have a pulse," Kai stated, feline ear pressed to the woman's chest. "I can't tell… It's faint…" He scowled. "But I wouldn't doubt that she has the same will to live as you do, mutt."

The blond sniffled. "You think?"

"We won't know for sure unless we get her to Nadie and Ryou," the red-haired feline replied, lifting the limp body into his arms. "We'll leave them alone to do what they do, but nothing's for sure. Hopefully, she'll be fine. All we can do is try not to worry."

"How can I not worry when I—"

Seto growled and leaned down, crushing the blond's mouth with his own. "Mph."

"Mm-!" The canine boy gasped softly, eyes wide, before whimpering and falling against the larger teen. "Mm…" He hissed softly as the brunet slid his hands up and down his sides, then broke the kiss quickly, looking away from him. "You're just doing it to shut me up now, aren't you? Because you read the letter and now you're disgusted with me. …Or you just don't care about my feelings and want to fuck me either way."

"Look at me," the CEO snapped, grabbing his chin and forcing him to look at him. "I'm not that cruel. And hell, I may not love you, but I like you. Isn't that a good place to start?"

Joey shrugged and looked away, frowning. "Who knows with you? You're so cold. I don't know. All I even know about you personally is that you like Duel Monsters and your favorite monster is the Blue Eyes. You don't talk about things. You don't open up. Face it, Kaiba. We'd never be able to make it together on sex and my openness alone."

The brunet grabbed the canine boy's shoulders and yanked him around to lean against his chest. "So how about we make it sex, your openness, and me trying?"

"I—hah…?" The blond looked over his shoulder at him, frowning. "…You trying…?"

"Trying to talk, trying to open up, trying to love you and show you affection," Seto explained, leaning his face into the blond's neck. "Trying to wipe away all of your bad memories, trying to make you forgive me for all of the horrible things I've said and done to you, trying to be… civil with your friends. Let me try, puppy." As the canine boy opened his mouth, he added, "I'll just keep pursuing you if you say no."

Joey sighed. "Then what's the point of giving me a choice?"

"…It would make me feel better if you wanted me as much as I want you."

He sighed again and closed his eyes. "Whatever, Kaiba. I'm tired."

The brunet ran his fingers through the smaller teen's hair and smiled slightly as he heard his breathing slow. "Just sleep then, pup."

"Mmn…" The blond's eyelids fluttered for a moment before falling still.

Seto lifted the pup into his arms and began carrying him to the house, absently wondering if it would be wrong to hoard the beautiful boy away like a dragon would a maiden. He refused to let anyone steal his puppy away, to give anyone else the chance of taking his heart when it rightfully belonged to him. But as he thought, he found himself deciding that would be a bad idea.

If Alisa lived and found out that that had been what he'd been doing, she would probably get angry.

And he liked being in one piece.