"Want to be my friend?"

"Okay."

Charlotte was nine years old and in the prime of her cuteness, her blonde hair was sprouting into long pigtails, highlighted by the silk white ribbons that were laced through her hair. She was wearing a small velvet red dress, with a sash that ran round her and was tied into a very large glittering bow at the back. It was the night of her father's grand party, a celebration of his achievements but to Charlotte, this meant very little. As she had watched her father walk around the room, chatting animatedly to everyone and kissing the women's cheek, she had shyly stood on the edge of the room, hiding behind the large plant displays. That is until a man with a tag that read "Billiard" came up to her and pushed her lightly, causing her to blush and look at him. His smiling face made her feel a little less shy and he sank to her level. He was young, well young for the standards of a body guard. He must have been in his late twenties but Charlotte only looked at his eyes, his very kind eyes. He urged her to go speak to her father and jerked his head to Pegasus who was laughing at something someone had said. She gulped and clasped her hands behind her back, walking through the crowds. They parted like sea, the gowns of the glamorous women swishing around her as they made room for her and she came up beside her father. A hush fell over the taking men and Pegasus stopped, looking down at the blushing child at his legs. He smiled lovingly and crouched down, swooping his daughter into his arms and lifting her into his arms.

"Gentlemen, I would like to introduce my daughter, Charlotte. Charlotte, would you like to say hello to the nice men?" Pegasus purred sipping from his champagne flute as Charlotte relaxed in his arms, clutching his neck. She smiled: a smile that for a child took the breath away of the group of people in Pegasus's company. One of those men was Gozaboro Kaiba.

He sipped at his own glass, one hand in his suit pocket and watched the father and daughter in their embrace. He observed how dependent Pegasus's daughter was of him, how she held him that little bit too tightly but let go when she knew that he needed her too. He felt like complimenting Pegasus on his upbringing of the child, thinking of the pair of orphans he was now bringing up.

"Pegasus, how old is your child?" he said curiously.

Pegasus swallowed and hugged his daughter against his chest encouragingly.

"Nine years old" she replied in her small girly tone, looking at GozaBoro. She had eyes that were very unusual for a child. While they were large and full of innocence and daydreams, she looked very serious and GozaBoro knew that this was down to the loss of her mother. He saw it in his own adopted son: Seto.

He tore his watchful eyes away from the parent and child, just as Pegasus was giving his daughter a much deserved kiss on the cheek and looked behind him. He narrowed his eyes, disgusted that Seto and the nuisance of a child, Mokuba were nowhere to be seen. He was almost positive that this was because of Mokuba's behaviour earlier. Goza Boro would not tolerate such childish behaviour. Mokuba had walked in on unnoticed that day when he had been strictly telling Seto about his responsibilities. He had deeply unsatisfied with his efforts of late and had risen from his chair, walking over to where the small brown haired boy stood in the centre of the room. He had grabbed a news- paper, rolled in tightly into a rock solid hard ball and swiftly struck it across Setos face, asserting his authority.

Seto had winced at first but silenced himself, not wanting to give Goza Boro the need to strike him harder. He had gritted his teeth as the paper had slapped across his face, the paper scratching his cheek, indenting the skins. The river of blood had leaked from his face and Mokuba had jumped out as Goza Boro when to repeat the same action. Mokuba was crying, grabbing Seto by the waist and clinging tightly to him, whilst at the same time howling at the top of his voice. Goza Boro had to groan and call his security. He had them removed from his office while he sank into his chair, shaking.

He would be dammed if he was showed up by the embarrassment of a child and whispered into the ear of his head security to fetch Seto. The man had shaken his head and before he could correct him harshly he had replied "No need."

He looked round and down as two small boys had appeared solemnly at his side: the larger one appearing much more together than the shaking infant tucked behind his arm. Goza Boro smiled; glad that he would no longer need to be pestered with annoying questions about the whereabouts of his new, most loved sons.

"WHO is this?" Pegasus announced and Goza Boro had noticed he had let his daughter down at his feet. She clung to his white robe suit, something he would have slapped a child for. Though Pegasus looked comforted by it, his eyes lighting up every time he glanced down. Which was something he did quite often.

"I would love to introduce my adopted son, Seto." He said, forgetting entirely about Mokuba. The boy was of little importance to him. If Seto would one day take over his company, he might as well ease him into his world.

"Charming to meet you… Kaiba boy!" Pegasus chimed, getting an automatic disgruntled look flash across Setos face. He had never met Mr Pegasus in the flesh but he had disliked his relaxed and carefree attitude, acting like everything in the world was ok. In his head, Seto felt like screaming. While he may be living life up in this fabulous mansion and playing card games all day long, Seto had been fighting for a life for him and Mokuba. He hadn't been able to play games or be a child. He had lost the privilege to be a child when his parents had died in the fire. By the age of ten, Seto was practically an adult, burdened with problems that would make an adult weep in despair. He was far too serious and the other guests were confused by how serious and uncomfortable the child looked.

"Are you okay lad? I hope you are enjoying my party, I would hate to think you aren't!" Pegasus, said his voice rising and falling with dramatic power. Seto stiffened but replied politely "I am, very much so Mr Pegasus."

Suddenly, an idea flashed across Maximillion Pegasus's mind. He smiled and pressed his daughters back, pushing her forward, out of the shadows.

"Have you met my daughter, Charlotte?"

The young boy looked at the girl his age, slightly younger and blinked. She shuffled her feet but looked up, her wide eyes meeting his. They locked eyes for a moment, that moment that if you blinked you would miss it. It was in this moment that a certain body guard who was watching intently picked up on, something that was born out of pure innocence.

He saw the flash of lightening that unusually was released the moment they recognised each other's presence. He saw the way that Seto's tightly gripped hands, suddenly became more relaxed and his shoulders slumped, his posture becoming more comfortable. He saw how her shyness melted away and her tiny lips formed a smile. He saw how they leaned in, looking at what the other one was and seeing so many similarities in each other. They were children who longed for love of a parent, whether they knew it or not. He knew that they were thinking. He knew what they felt. It was the best part of childhood. Seeing someone at that age and not knowing who, what or where they came from but feeling something-something that was only a blip of a feeling-that made you curious. Billiard knew what this was. For him, it had been what had grown into a deep love for his wife. A childhood crush.

He thought she would forget.

It was such a fleeting moment of their lives that Billiard had doubted she would consider it significant at all. His thoughts of many years ago was confirmed when he heard the familiar cries emerge into the hall and run into the elevator. It was this that made Billiard follow after the mess of a woman that ran out of the office. It wasn't because of his job or his duty or even his concern for a girl that he had come to see in the way you would see your own daughter. It was because he knew he wanted her to remember for herself-the summer of childhood that had been lost. He would do everything he could to try and jog her memory. How he would do this was a completely different question…