Jemmea rushed as fast as she could while still avoiding the cameras. She hastily reached the music room, but there was nothing but a dark room scattered with instruments and equipment. From there it was onto his room. It was also dark and she quickly flipped on the light, but there was nothing.

"Jude?" she called, stepping further into the room. There was no sign that he either had or hadn't been there recently. He didn't keep up with his room and didn't like people going through his stuff, so it was a complete mess. Miss-matched Vans lay strewn across the floor, along with some abandoned clothes, though Jem was proud of him for packing most into the overflowing hamper. His backpack was tossed aside in a corner, but that didn't really mean anything. Most of the room reflected his passion, a guitar aside on his huge bed with big headphones on the end table. A stereo was in his room along with a record player, still enjoying vinyls. He had various blooms and other lights around his room and behind his bed that changed color.

She looked on the balcony, only to see the sun beginning to set and a couple cigarette butts he had been too lazy to sweep off entirely. She huffed, next going to his ajar bathroom door. The bathroom too was dark and empty. Lastly, she checked the large closet only to find more of the same.

She huffed again, frustrated and worried as she placed her hands on her hips. The last place she could think to safely look for him was the roof. She made it up there as quickly as she could, but he was clearly not there either.

Returning to his room, she looked around and there was still nothing. Jem flipped back on his mess of grey bedding, laying on her back with a hand on her ribs, her feet dangling. Thinking to check the time, she twisted to look at his clock. 6:32. Adjusting to get comfortable again, she thought. He was probably at dinner. Probably.

She sighed heavily, trying to calm down. I should have known this would happen, she scolded. For everything he did, it was really only a matter of time before… All the scenarios began running through her head. Most likely an overdose, but maybe he drunkenly fell off of something. And no one had any way to tell me. What if he had been alone? What if he was alone and rotting somewhere? Would anyone have really noticed or been concerned by now?

She shot up, looking at the clock again. It had only been five minutes. Jem decided to give him until 7:00 but was already worried. If he was indeed eating she knew him to devour food. There was no way she was going to make it waiting for him. She had to know. She had to see him now.

Hopping up, she bolted. She checked the roof, then his room, then went to his music room again, thinking this should take up the 23 minutes. He was still nowhere to be found and she was only growing more worried. It was time to check the dining hall, which she knew had the highest risk of giving her away, but she had to know. He was everything to her.

Jem went straight to the dining hall, not hesitating to push open the large door. She was both extremely relieved and furious to see her brother sitting there eating dinner—along with her father and sister. They were just all surprised to see her, but all her focus was on him.

"Holy shit," he nearly choked at first, so surprised that she was there. But then he hopped up. "Jemmie, you're here!" The other two were silenced with shock, letting the twins continue as they processed what was happening.

"Why haven't you responded to me?" she demanded as he moved toward her.

Just as he was about to wrap his arms around her, he mentioned, "Sorry, I thought about getting back to you, but..."

With the realization that he had gotten all of her messages, she reached out and slapped him across the cheek, much like how a cat swats defensively, before he could hold her.

"Ow!" he cried, half-curling up and clutching his cheek before he rose slowly. "Ok, I guess I deserved that-"

Just as he straightened up she smacked him again, standing over him. Tears of anger formed in her eyes.

"Ok, ok," he started to defend. "This is getting a little too real-"

"I thought you were dead!" she cried furiously.

"I'm sorry," he said, holding up his hands. "I just... You didn't seem terribly happy when I last saw you and I just wanted you home for Christmas and saw no other way. I'm being selfish, I know..."

"What the fuck is the matter with you?" she cried, clenching her fists.

Before it escalated any further, Pegasus intervened. "Jude, you're excused."

Jude, being entirely done with his dinner for a while now and feeling a lot safer elsewhere, heeded his father and left, sulking. Jem covered her face, trying to contain her emotions.

Pegasus turned to his youngest. "Are you done as well, dearest?"

Effie's deep red lipstick matched the nail polish on her perfectly manicured hands. While Jude spent his time over the years developing his musical talents, she had perfected her beauty routine and always managed to look flawless, though not without effort. Today her dark chocolate hair was down, the crafted waves just reaching her tan shoulders. Her matching brown eyes were fixed on her sister with disgust and jealousy. "Why? You want time with her?" she answered disdainfully.

"Yes, I need to talk to your sister. But don't feel like-"

"It's FINE," Effie huffed unhappily, slapping her napkin onto the table and excusing herself. Her chair screeched as she stood and she hastily pushed past it to exit. Effie kept her eyes on Jem as she walked around, glaring at her.

As she stormed out, Pegasus sighed, but waited. As the staff swooped in to clear the table, he glanced over at his daughter, though tried not to make it obvious. She was clearly upset and very caught up in it at the moment. He was very surprised to see her, though was relieved, not knowing where she had been. He knew his son regularly contacted her but had yet to get past the security on his phone, which she had provided him, somehow. Pegasus still wasn't sure how she supported herself and often worried about it. Aside from that, Jude remaining happy was his only clue that she wasn't hurt. That hadn't stopped him from searching for her, however.

Pegasus sat with his arms and legs crossed, his posh black blazer over his favorite green turtleneck. The curtain of his hair acted as an eyepatch, never caring for the glass replacement. He was turned only slightly, watching his daughter as she fretted. She sniffled a bit, wiping her tears away. She had been terrified.

To his surprise, she came and sat next to him, though she didn't look at him, leaning forward and burying her face, but she knew that he was fixed on her.

After a moment she heard condescendingly, "Now you know how I feel."

She shot up at this, her eyes and arms up, exasperated. "I can't deal with this right now. Not after today, not after the past three days!" she exclaimed, twisting and pointing after her brother.

He gave her this, having plenty else to talk to her about. "I wasn't expecting you."

Jem slowly let her hands fall to her lap, staring back at him as she realized she had indeed turned herself in. She leaned all the way back in the chair, resting the side of her head against the back. "You had no reason to," she replied darkly.

Pegasus had everything meticulously controlled. He had to with his current impromptu guest. Between her being here and Kaiba knowing she existed, it was the last thing he expected and it was very much throwing him off. Kaiba's early arrival and disclosure of the children's names served no other purpose but to throw Pegasus off his game and he knew it. Pegasus wanted to believe that having his daughter back would offer him more control, but he knew she was bitter and capable of a lot. There were too many wildcards in this castle for him to feel entirely secure, but he showed nothing.

"You eat dinner as a family now?" she observed, realizing that was why she couldn't find Jude for so long.

"I'm trying to get a little more discipline into this family," he answered, it sounding like an accusation. "And now if you try to leave again, seeing you on a regular schedule will alert me to your absence before you can get very far."

Jem laughed, unamused. "I'd say locking me in my room for days is discipline enough," she countered.

"Jemma, you ran away. From an island, no less. It was a necessary precaution."

"I know it's not a normal punishment," she continued. "My friend told me."

"Yes, well, you're not a normal child," he replied. Her father gave her a disapproving look. "Your friend at the academy? Is that where you've been?"

"Of course not," she replied. "That would be the first place you'd look for me." And she was right, it had been.

"Jemma, I do so love games, but yours are never very fun," he said disapprovingly. "Now I have some things to attend to. I want you to stay here and eat. Chef! Make my daughter something to eat. Something healthy. God only knows what you've been eating on your own."

They staff scurried to fulfill his order as he stood. "Croquet," he bid. Croquet now exposed himself from his spot in the corner. "Watch her. Jemma I want you going back to your room after this. Croquet, keep her away from any guests, we don't need her being rude to them as well. And away from her siblings. They're not ready to see each other yet. Jemma, you came back on your own so I'm leaving the door unlocked. Don't give me a reason to lock it again." With that, he left.

Jem just looked up to Croquet, not excited to see him. The exchanges they had over the years did not lead to a positive or respectful relationship.

"Happy to see me?" she provoked.

He wasn't going to hide it from her. "Not at all."

Next Chapter: Effort

She shot up and went down the stairs, going straight to her father's home office. She let herself in hastily. "Jemma, what are you doing here?"