KaelynnD: Hahaha, well the thing is about Seto, I could never see him having a girlfriend myself unless the circumstances were tremendously different… and even though this is an AU in which I have completely changed, I thought the step mother thing would be more logical. Besides, I'm very excited to have her in my story. I feel like no one has ever really used her as a plot device and here I am, giving her some very great importance in my story. You'll see what I mean when you read the chapter/the next few chapters. It's going to take a while to really get everything out in the open but I'm sure when I do, you'll be pleased. And thank you! Gozaburo has always been my favorite villain, especially since he's so similar to Seto in every way except for one key thing… well anyways, if I keep rambling, I may never stop! Thanks for the review and enjoy the chapter!

MythCreatorWriter: Yeah, I'm hoping to bounce back and start making it equal again. And to tell you the truth, I don't have a choice for her. Or, well, I didn't for the longest time. I told Rena Redhead who I thought she might go with in the end and she flipped out at me so it seems I may always be at a cross roads. I'm hoping that the story will really reveal it to me as I move forward with it because I'm not sure myself. AND I WAS THINKING OF KILLING SETH RIGHT AS YOU SAID THAT… but I won't, because I still have some plans for him. Hate at first sight, hahaha, I like that! It's so very true too. Yes, Gozaburo does have a wife and she is barely referenced and I think that film scene is the only time we ever see her, but I've decided to go where no writer has ever gone before (at least from the fanfiction I have read) and use her as a plot device. Which I am super excited for. Anyways, thanks for the review!

Cuteandsweet: I'm sure you were excited when Joey showed up! Something tells me you're a Joey fan which might be a problem since… I have a tendency to hate Joey and write my stories with a bias in that way. Oh well, you'll just have to see what happens to him! Thanks for the review.

Velgamidragon: I'm pretty sure no one expected me to bring in his step mom. I bet you all thought I was bringing in some lame OC, right? Hahaha, nah… like I've been saying, I've decided to go somewhere new and use a character that's barely referenced in the series. Thanks for the review.

Pinkberry: It's okay, no one gets it right now—why Seto cares for this woman at all—but it's going to be explained a little in this chapter, so have no fear about that. I plan to use this entire family weekend event to really explain everything and I promise not to leave anything out. I miss the brother fluff too, I think we all do. But I think I've got something much more exciting awaiting you in this story so keep reading. Thanks for the review!

SandstormAmaterasuZira: Of course you do! There's always something to look forward to when Kari has a story to write! Hahaha, but that's just me sounding cocky :p Thanks for the review!

UnderGroundKiss: Hey, I want to especially thank you for your awesomely nice review that you sent me. This past week I've been a little down in the dumps about pretty much everything and my writing is always the hardest that's hit when I get that way. What with me being in college, trying to succeed, thinking about my career, it's hard to see the value in what I do online outside of how much I enjoy it. But it's reviews like those that kind of help jog the memory that not only do I enjoy what I do, but other people enjoy it too, which has got to be what life is about, isn't it? Doing what you love and sharing your gift with others? Well, it's the way I've always viewed life. As for your review, it was just detailed enough to give me my confidence back, so thank you! Enjoy the chapter!

Episode 20: Family Weekend, Part II—Speculations

When Kaori entered her room, she immediately went to the bed and sat down. She could feel her heart racing as she gasped for breath. Kaori would've assumed she was feeling this way because of what she had just seen but being fully aware of her body and condition, she knew it was probably a result of quickly walking out of the dining room and up the stairs. As much as Kaori hated to admit it, she was getting older. Her age was wearing her down physically more than anything else and sometimes she would forget that. Most times she wanted to forget that. Kaori allowed herself to sit still for a moment while she caught her breath.

"Kaori," Kaori heard a voice say. Kaori looked up from the floor and saw it was her step son, Seto that had called her name and entered the room. Kaori forgot all about how winded she was and stood up the moment she realized his presence. She smiled at him, a more loving one than she had shown when they first saw one another in the dining room.

"Seto, you're here. What a lovely surprise. But I hope this doesn't mean you walked out before finishing your meal." Kaori observed Seto quickly, "Seto, you look thinner than usual. Have you been eating enough lately?" Seto completely ignored her question.

"That's nothing to be concerned with. The real question is what are you doing here?" Seto sounded angry but Kaori knew this was only because he was concerned.

"I was invited so I thought I would come…"

"But I told you not to. It's much too dangerous for you to be here and you know as well as I do how Gozaburo is. You should've just stayed in California like I had told you." Kaori put her hands on her hips.

"Now, now, Seto, you must remember that I am sixty-two years old. And one would hope that when a woman becomes that age she should be able to do as she pleases." Seto looked away for a moment, feeling guilty that he had giving her orders as if he were running her life. If it were anyone else, Seto would've had no problems telling someone else what to do. But because this was Kaori, his step mother… it was a much different situation. Kaori was the only adult Seto respected and did not treat as someone of an equal or lower rank than he.

Kaori walked over to Seto and hugged him as tightly as she could. Seto accepted her hug and did nothing else.

Seto: I know what you're all thinking; why is the woman touching me and what the hell is wrong with me. It's really not that hard to understand, though. Kaori is the only adult I respect, the reason being that she was the closest thing I had to a parent growing up. When Gozaburo wasn't beating me, Kaori was trying to look out for me. In fact, she tried to protect me a lot of the times from Gozaburo's tyrant behavior. She felt bad for me and wished it to stop. Only… actions against Gozaburo were never taken lightly and she was put in my place instead.

"I've miss you so much, Seto." Kaori let go of Seto and took a step back, looking up and marveling at how much taller he was in comparison to her. It still amazed her how he had grown since the first time she had first met him when he was merely a small boy.

"Kaori, I realize it must've been lonely in California all by yourself, but you know it was safer too. That was why I sent you there in the first place. I see no reason for you to come back after all he had put you through." Kaori placed her frail hand on Seto's left cheek.

"I wanted to see you, Seto. You can't blame a woman for wanting to see her son." Seto held her hand and pulled it away from his face.

"Wanting to see me isn't worth the danger of what might happen if you stay here…" Kaori didn't look away from Seto's stern and worried gaze. She knew what was at stake. She knew far more than Seto could've possibly imagined at that very moment. Kaori, of course, said nothing about this, letting the silence encompass the moment until she remembered there was something she needed to ask Seto before the conversation could be continued.

"Seto, there's something I need to ask you."

"What is it?" Kaori suddenly broke her gaze away from Seto's.

"That boy… who was sitting at the table, with the long black hair… who is he?" Kaori asked, "I mean, isn't he a bit young to be away from home?"

"You mean Mokuba?" Kaori's eyes widened, but she tried not to reveal her shock to Seto, "Yes, he is a bit young, but that was Gozaburo's idea and he's an orphan. Gozaburo went off and picked the entire cast without telling me who he was bringing in and since Mokuba doesn't have parents, well… it was easier to force him to live in someone else's house for six months." Suddenly Kaori felt like she couldn't breathe. The door flung open right as Seto had said that and her inability to receive oxygen didn't get better.

"Oh there you are Seto. I've been looking for you. Why don't you go and re-join the others downstairs? I'm sure Kaori is very tired from all the traveling she did today. You should let her rest," Gozaburo said. Seto turned to Kaori. Kaori said nothing and nodded with agreement even though Gozaburo was the last person she had wanted to see right now after making such a discovery. She brought Seto's head down and kissed him on the forehead.

"I'll see you in the morning," She whispered to him. Seto straightened himself up, said nothing and then left the room. Kaori looked on sadly until her boy was nowhere in sight. Gozaburo, however, stayed and stood beside her.

"You should get some sleep dearest, we have things to do tomorrow," Gozaburo said, kissing her on the cheek. For a moment, she felt like she had gone back in time to when Gozaburo and she were first dating. The way Gozaburo had kissed her on the cheek, the way he was speaking to her in a tone that almost made it sound like he cared. But when Kaori looked up and into his face, when she had remembered what he had done, she knew the last thing he did was out of care. Gozaburo wanted something from her.

What that was, Kaori did not know.

When Seto entered the living room, he was thankful to find that it was less crowded than it had been a couple hours before. Kisara and her mother had gone off somewhere together as well as Mai and Joey. Seto was especially thankful about Joey's absence, considering how much he already hated the guy even though they had just met for the first time earlier that day. The only people that remained in the living room were Mokuba, Chieko, Hanako, Sister Theresia Unno, Seth, and Noboru.

Chieko, Hanako and Mokuba were all sprawled out on the floor. A chess board was in between Chieko and Hanako; it had appeared as though Mokuba was attempting to teach the girls how to play chess although it was proving to be quite difficult since both girls wanted to play with the individual pieces rather than the actual game. Sister Theresia Unno was sitting on a couch nearby, reading quietly and looking up every so often to check on the children.

The loudest people in the room were Seth and Noboru. Seth was louder than anyone else, though, since Seth was in the process of re-telling all of his adventures to Noboru since he had come to live in the Kaiba Mansion. Noboru would smile and listen quietly, laugh when the story had become funny, and gasp when it had become intense.

Seth: When Noboru use to baby sit me back in the day, man… it was the best. I just loved hanging out with him and talking to him. It's so awesome to see him again. It's been made obvious that my parents weren't around a lot or, well, ever, so I had a lot of baby sitters I went through growing up. But out of all of them, Noboru was always the best. I don't know what it is about him but he makes me want to be a better me. I care about his opinion and I go to him when I have a problem. I suppose you could say he's like a mentor to me.

Seto decided to go and sit next to Sister Theresia Unno on the couch. It seemed like the calmest seat in the room. When Seto sat down, Sister Theresia Unno looked up from her book and over at the children again. She smiled before turning to Seto.

"Look at them, aren't they a sight for sore eyes?" Seto nodded in agreement. "Mokuba is such a kind-hearted soul in so many ways. He has such an influence on all the children in the orphanage almost like an older brother would to a younger sibling." Sister Theresia Unno's face suddenly went dark and she looked down. Seto noticed this.

"Is something wrong?" Sister Theresia Unno sighed.

"It's not that anything is necessarily wrong it's just that… there's something about Mokuba that I don't understand."

"How do you mean?"

"Well, back at the orphanage when he is with the children, he acts like he normally does. Mokuba is caring, helpful, compassionate… all the things I've always known Mokuba to be. But then when Mokuba meets with potential parents that are interesting in adopting him, he suddenly changes. He throws fits, he becomes angry. Mokuba simply isn't himself when he's with them. He drives the parents away. The minute they're gone, however, he returns to his normal self as if nothing had happened."

"I see…" Seto said. He suddenly came to a conclusion but had no intention of being vocal about it. He planned on discussing such matters with Mokuba later. Sister Theresia Unno sighed once more.

"I just don't understand why he does it. I've tried asking him plenty of times but he never tells me. I know that I wasn't in charge when he first arrived at the orphanage but it still doesn't make sense…" Sister Theresia Unno looked down at her watch and then stood up, "Oh my, look at the time, we best be on our way back." Chieko and Hanako's head shot up at the same time.

"What? Why?" They both whined. Mokuba got up from where he was sitting.

"Yeah, family weekend doesn't end till Sunday." Sister Theresia Unno walked over to him.

"I know my child, but Chieko and Hanako must be back. The weekends are the busiest times at the orphanage and the most families come to visit. I cannot deprive Chieko and Hanako of their opportunity to be adopted." Mokuba understood completely and nodded. Chieko and Hanako ran up to Mokuba and hugged him.

"We'll miss you, Mokuba-san…" Chieko said with a sniffle.

"Yeah… will you come and visit us some time?" Hanako asked. Mokuba placed a hand on each of their heads and ruffled their hair.

"Of course I will."

"Hooray!" The two of them cheered.

Mokuba: I wasn't too bummed about them having to leave. Not because I didn't like them being around or anything it's just that when you live in an orphanage you're use to people coming and going into your life. It's part of the process of moving forward and moving on. If I spent too much time focusing on how many people I cared for who were gone, well, I probably wouldn't have a lot of time to live my life.

"We'll see each other soon, I'm sure," Sister Theresia Unno assured Mokuba.

"Of course we will. Here, let me walk you to the door," Mokuba offered, taking Chieko and Hanako's hand and walking them out of the room with Sister Theresia Unno following from behind. They left the room and for a moment, even Seth had become quiet in their absence.

"Hey, I'm going to get something to drink, is that cool? You want anything?" Noboru said, patting Seth's shoulder before he got up.

"I'm good. You sure you don't want me to get it for you?"

"Nah, that's fine. I'm just getting a glass of water, I'll be right back." Noboru left the room. Seto and Seth now remained. Seth looked up at Seto who appeared to be deep in his own thoughts as he gazed at the empty doorway that the others had just walked through.

"Hey Seto, can you explain something to me?"

"What?" Seto asked without looking at him.

"Did you notice how much younger those other two orphans were? I mean, they looked like they were five or six. I don't get it. I mean, when Mokuba first came here, of course he seemed like the little guy in comparison to us but compared to the kids he lives with… well, it seems like he's the one that's really old."

"That's because he is."

"What? No he's not. He's only eleven."

"Yes, and in an orphanage, that's relatively old. The closer a kid comes to being a teenager means they have less of a chance of being adopted. No one wants to adopt a kid who has gone on to discover life has been unfair to them. They want a child that's young, cute, and naïve. The older they get living in an orphanage, the more troublesome they become. Parents would rather not take their chances on that."

"Whoa… I didn't… I didn't even realize that," Seth felt bad knowing Mokuba's situation.

Seth: Poor Mokuba… I mean, the kid seems nice enough. He deserves a home… Gee, now I feel terrible. You would've thought I had felt terrible before hand when I first found out his parents were dead and that he was an orphan but he always seemed okay about it. Like he was at peace… but then again, what do I know? It's not like I could understand his situation in anyway, my parents are still alive… at least I hope so. I should try to contact them soon and see where they've been.

"So does that mean he'll never get adopted then? Because if that's the case, that's just horrible," Seth stated, standing up as if he were going to do something about it. Noboru re-entered the room just then with a glass of water in hand.

"Hey guys, what's going on?"

"I gotta go," Seto said, not once giving Seth so much of a glance the entire time he had been speaking to him. Seto left the room. Noboru sat back down in his seat and looked on curiously as Seto strolled out of the room.

"Man, that guy… he may look like you but he sure doesn't act like you."

"I know, right? He's a total weirdo."

"Yeah, he actually seems slightly intelligent, like he thinks about things before he does them." Seth shot Noboru a glare and Noboru laughed.

"Come on Seth, you know it's true."

"Yeah, well…"

"Admit it."

"I guess you're right… but in all seriousness, I do worry about that guy," Seth said, "I mean, he always seems like he has something to worry about. The entire time we've been here, everyone's been having fun except for Seto. I know I just met the guy but I can't help but feel for the guy."

"You think it's anything you could help him out with?" Noboru asked.

"Nah… something tells me this is something that doesn't involve me at all… I just hope Seto comes out okay in the end."

"He will, Seth. I'm sure of it."

A/N: And that makes the end of Episode 20! Now I'm sure you were all hoping this would clear up all confusion and unclearness but it is going to probably take a couple chapters to do all of that. For now, I give you just a couple more pieces to this puzzle. In my opinion, I think this chapter turned out better than I expected. Oh, and in random news I finally got my job as an English tutor! My English teacher found out and told me that she herself found out more about her writing by tutoring than she ever did going to graduates school. She expects the same to happen to me. So look out world I'm going to be… learning… more things! Hahaha, anyways, I'll stop rambling. Thanks for reading the chapter!