Big thanks to: Hocapontas, starwefter, Coelectichi, and Isis the Sphinx for leaving reviews :)
Chapter Twenty-seven
The sound of a clock ticking echoed in the waiting area where Seto sat leaning forward, forearms on knees and could feel his hands becoming clammy whilst looking down at them as they rest together in front of him. Next to him sat his younger self holding onto the blue bear and occasionally shifting his position, displaying the boy's uneasiness that he felt. It had been several minutes since either of them had spoken a word to each other, though to him it seemed like hours as he sat there waiting for the inevitable to happen all over again.
Seto gave a quick glance across to where the captain stood to one side at the opposite end of the room, giving him the space to be on his own with his younger self, but close enough to watch over them both. A faint reassuring smile was sent his way from the older man still holding the sleeveless coat, and he half-heartedly forced himself to mimic the gesture back to the Jack who was not yet quite the man he had befriended and bonded with.
Sitting up straight again, Seto turned his attention to the boy by his side who seemed lost in thought as his eyes passed right by the soft toy he was looking at. A gut-wrenching feeling began to simmer inside him as he stared at his younger self. I said I'd be there for him and just look at me! Here I am sitting here in silence, - like a complete stranger, - and not giving him any kind of support at all. The guilt grew stronger, as Seto tried to find a way of comforting the boy and found his own eyes drawn to the blue bear as he sought comfort himself. That's it!
Seto nervously wet his lips as he prepared himself to let song words gently pass by them. Words that he dare not admit to anyone that he had known, - and still knew them, - …. Ever. "I wanna be a Care Bear."
Little Seto's attention was caught by the softly spoken words and all the worrying thoughts about his mother that had been present in his mind disappeared almost instantly. He looked up with a smile on his face and listened to the theme of his favourite cartoon as the man next to him continued to sing.
"Oh, it will be so great when I'm a Care Bear. Oh, I can hardly wait to be a Care Bear, and do the things that Care Bears do. Oh, I wanna be a Care Bear like you…"
"You do?"
A ghostly smile materialised on Seto's face at having been successful in lifting his younger self's spirits so much that he joined along with him. Together they continued, "I'll be like Funshine and make the sun shine. And have a heart like Love-a-Lot. I'll be like Wish Bear and always be there, we'll be the luckiest bears in Care-a-Lot …"
From the sideline, Jack watched the Seto duet. It was a beautiful but at the same time, heartbreaking sight to behold. They both may be the same person, - eventually, - and singing the same song, but he clearly noticed the way that they sounded completely different from each other as they sang. Where as the boy's voice was oozing joy and delight that came naturally from his enthusiasm, the man's was forced happiness that he struggled to maintain but managed, purely for the benefit of the child.
When the singing ended, Little Seto was much more cheerful and lively than he had been before the start of the song. His legs began to swing back and forth again as his thoughts turned back to becoming a big brother. Silence returned to the waiting area and slowly the wide smile loosened on his face when he noticed the gloomy look in the eyes of the man sat beside him, as Seto floundered with the act that he was trying to pass off.
"Mommy took me to see a movie at the theatre last week." The boy attempted to make conversation, feeling that his lack of interaction with the man he had plead to stay was the reason why he had withdrawn inside himself.
"I know." Seto replied quietly but failed to look at his younger self. He continued to stare into the empty space in front of him and not wanting to seem rude or discourage the boy, kept the conversation going to try and keep both of their minds away from thoughts his dying mother. "What did you see?"
The reply was full of joyfulness, "Bambi."
Bambi. Seto pushed his heartache back at the mere mention of the film that had started his dislike of animation once he had established the death of his mother being similar to that of the fawn's. "Did you enjoy the movie?"
"I loved it!" Little Seto exclaimed, legs swinging faster whilst he cuddled the blue bear and then burst out into giggles as he spoke of his favourite moment in the Disney film. "I especially, really, liked the part when Bambi was trying to ice-skate on the lake."
There was a deep sigh as Seto felt his grief over power him. His eyes starting to water and prickle in their corners, and his strength to hold himself together faltering. Having witnessed just how much a little change could alter the timeline that was due to follow, he was hesitant about his next move but knew that his younger self would gradually make the connection later on without his help. "There's a part of that film which I need to talk to you about Seto."
"Mokuba." Jack said in a warning type manner, his eyes sympathetically locked onto Seto's as the younger man now glanced back at him. I know that you want to make it easier for him to accept the loss of your mother by explaining it through the events of the film but please don't. The eye contact between them was broken as the other shyly looked away from him and back into the depths of nothingness.
"Which part?" The little boy asked curiously and then his face wrinkled at the thought of the portion of the film that he hadn't understood properly, before his mother's explanation. "If it's about the 'twitter-pating', then Mommy told me that it was actually about the animals falling in love." He looked kind of pleased with himself at having informed the stranger of this fact. "That stupid owl just didn't have a clue about what he was talking about…"
What the hell am I doing here by allowing myself sink into the pit of desolation? He snapped out of his wallowing and paid closer attention to the boy chatting away beside him. I'm so focused on thinking about the fate which is awaiting my mother that I'm missing the chance to experience the joy this unimaginable repeating of circumstances is bringing. So many people take the use of photography and camcorders for granted; they preserve their happier times and youth to look back on at their leisure, not giving a second thought to how lucky they are to do so when some of us have no such luxuries as photos or home videos, - for whatever reason, - to remember those times. Even lacking the time and/or ability to daydream back to those days escapes some of us, so once they have eroded from our minds, that's it; they're gone. Forever.
A weak smile spread on Seto's face at listening to his younger self talk in the innocent and naive tone that had been so long forgotten all those years ago. This was his one and only chance to re-experience that purity which would soon start to be snatched away from his younger self very shortly. "So, do you ever think that you'll find yourself 'twitter-pated'?" He attempted to extend the conversation with the boy who continued to excitedly ramble on about the movie from the previous week.
"Uh-uh." Little Seto shook his head so vigorously that his hair continued wobbling momentarily after his head had stopped. "I'm never going to fall in love with a girl… ever!"
The urge to laugh from witnessing the comical reaction was held back. "Why not?"
"Girls are yuk! They make you play dress-up, tea parties, mommies and daddies, and my friend Charlie says that they have cooties!"
"They're not all like that." Seto chuckled at his younger self's typical childish reasoning for not liking the opposite sex. It was also a relief to know that he, - at one point, - had been carefree just like any other child, before his world changed and he was forced to grow up quickly. "I've only just started to realise that myself." He wasn't sure if his next statement would have any effect on his future, but couldn't stop himself as the words left his lips. "It's okay to fall in love Seto."
Why had he said that? Was he really that scared and anxious not to spend the rest of his life alone that he had to make his younger self aware of the unhappiness that lay ahead, even though he knew that he shouldn't? Once the current event was over, and his timeline back to 'normal' with his brother returned to him, then what else would there be to lose? Don't I deserve to be happy too?
For once in your life be completely selfish! Seto's mind screamed at himself. It's a long-shot that he'll find her anyway, but you know she's out there somewhere. . "When the right girl comes along you'll know and you've got to be ready to fight for her."He looked directly into the eyes of the boy next to him. "Do whatever it takes to be with her, you hear me?"
"Mokuba!" Jack grumbled another warning from his observation point, aware that the younger man was again attempting to seriously alter future events in his life.
"From the moment you see her it'll be love at first sight, - listen to your heart and don't fight it!"
"That's enough!"
"They may be, - will be, - a part of you that won't allow yourself to …" Seto hesitated for a moment. I've got this wrong, I shouldn't be telling him to find Kisara, I should be warning him about Gozaburo…
"I said that's enough!" The captain growled angrily as he pulled the man up from his chair and began to move across to the other side of the room, away from the boy. In a lowered but still just as furious growl Jack interrogated his captive, "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"
"I…" Seto knew he was in the wrong to do what he had done; there would be no excuse to justify the outburst other than the truth. "I was desperate Jack, and before you go all 'high-horse' on me just ask yourself this; If it was you, then would you have been able to resist and not warn yourself to keep a hold of Gray's hand?" He looked straight on at the older man. "Be honest with me, like I've just been with you."
"That's not relevant to this situation." The captain purposefully avoided answering the younger man's question, his voice now calmer though as he truly sympathised with the temptation at hand. "What you've just done by talking to your younger self like that has the potential to change things dramatically for your future…"
"I know." Seto nodded calmly.
"I know that you know!" Jack exclaimed with irritation that the other wasn't taking things at all seriously. "All you've tried to do since I met you is alter your past!"
"Is there a point to this conversation, - other than scolding me for my actions? -because we're drawing the attention of a certain five year old." Seto indicated over the captain's shoulder to where his younger self stood clutching at the care bear whilst looking baffled by the behaviour of the two men.
Jack looked behind himself and forced one of his huge gaping smiles onto his face as he looked at the boy. "I'm just having a little chat with my friend, it won't take long, and then I'll send him back over to you, okay Seto?"
"Okay." Little Seto replied quietly as he nodded before seating himself back on to the chair he had descended. What did Mokuba mean? Who do I have to fight? I don't like fighting. Why would anybody fight over a girl? Is that what they're doing right now? His view returned to the conversing strangers and was met with the back of the older man's head. I don't like Jack, - well maybe just an extremely, teensy, little bit. I bet he stoled Mokuba's girlfriend and that's why he's so sad! Do boyfriends and girlfriends do anything else other than kissing? Yuk, I hate kissing! Expect when it's with Mommy and Daddy, but that doesn't count…
The doors to the room that Seto's mother had been taken into suddenly burst wide open. Several doctors and nurses quickly wheeled out the trolley bed containing the pregnant woman who cried out in pain and protests as they rushed down the corridor by the waiting area to speedily get her over to the operating theatre. Orders to move out of the way were yelled at the two men blocking their path who quickly complied to let them by.
"Mommy!" Little Seto cried and leapt down from his seat at seeing his mother taken further away from him and his view. "Mommy!" His legs ran as fast as they would allow but still he could not catch up with her. Tears began to pour from his eyes, blurring his vision, and his efforts to be reunited with her were then made completely useless as he felt a hand wrap firmly around one of his arms. "MOMMY!"
"Seto come here!"
Mokuba! The boy stopped struggling to try and free himself from the man's grasp and instead flung himself towards the arms that tenderly squeezed him tightly. "Something's wrong with my Mommy, don't tell there isn't, I may be a kid but I'm not stupid!" His words were rushed and gradually dissolved amongst the anguish of cries as he sobbed against the stranger.
"Shhh." Seto tried to calm his younger self even though he too was struggling to hold himself together. As well as his tormented heartache of witnessing the death of his mother all over again, there was also deep feeling of guilt that he had even considered to see beyond the grief of this day and that which it inflicted upon the child. "It's okay Seto, I promise you that it's okay, everything will sort itself out very soon."
Jack watched from a few feet away. He'd back down from the disagreement between himself and the younger man, who seemed to be convinced that nothing could alter his timeline to anything worse than he had experienced, but couldn't help wondering who the reassurance had been spoken for, - the boy who was heavily crying or the man who was on the verge of tears himself.
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A/N: My apologies for the slight delay in posting (the weekend has been chaos, which tied me up with other things)
For those who would have liked to have witnessed a duel between Seto and Ianto, now you can by reading (if you haven't done so already) an alternate chapter in my one-shot fic; 'The Duel That Never Was; Seto Vs Ianto' (I'm glad you liked it starwefter, and wish you good luck with writing your duels)
KG
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Jack: Lemme see, lemme see!
KG: No!
Doctor: Stop being mean and let him see the title of the next fic.
KG: (sighs) Oh, okay.
Jack: (reading) 'The final part of the Yugioh/Who trilogy'
Seto: (to KG) Again you amaze me at your lack of ability to come up with a decent title for your fics.
KG: (rolls eyes) It's only a 'working' title.
Ianto: I'll think of one for you!
Seto: (to Ianto) She doesn't want a rhyming title.
Ianto: Okay, how about; 'The Face of Things Yet to Come'?
KG: Ooo, I like that!
Doctor: Me too.
Jack: I don't get it?
Seto: (facepalm) I'm surrounded my idiots!
