Well, my internet connection crashed…and has not come back for the last 24 hours, making me quite bored…I want to watch Gravitation TT well, let's get started I guess.

Chapter 29 : But one can make them better.

"He wants to WHAT?!?!?!?" Joey asked, his eyes wide with shock, he hoped he had heard her wrong, Yugi and Tristan were just as shocked.

Anzu sighed, tears threatening to fall from her eyes. "He said he was going to send me in a boarding school." She repeated, she kept her head low, she couldn't stand to look up at her friends, it was too painful to her. She was still under shock herself, after the unexpected outburst of her parents in the morning, she had never seen her parents so mad, they yelled at her for long minutes, she thought it was never going to end. Everything ended when her father stated that she would be going in a border school before the end of the month. She had told Kaiba about what her father said, he had done what he could to comfort her even if he couldn't do much, she was still glad that he was there, but when the bell rang they had to part ways, they didn't have the same class.

As soon as she entered the classroom, her friends came to her and asked her what was wrong, why she was crying like that when she arrived. They also wanted to know about the picture, sure they knew at some point that she was going out with Kaiba, but still they were worried about how she felt about it. She explained as much as she could, how her father had been angered by the article in the newspaper and his decision to send her to another school.

The four of them stayed silent, what could they say, they had no way of convincing her father to let her stay, if anything, it would only convince him that he was making the right choice. They simply couldn't believe that soon Anzu wouldn't be with them anymore, that she would be at some kind of pension on the other side of the country. No words were shared for the rest of the class, they were all trying to digest the news, and think out some kind of solution.

When the teacher let the students out, Anzu told her friends she was going to see Kaiba during the five minutes break and left them, he had been silent when she left him, he seemed to be lost in thoughts. However, she didn't find him at his locker, she waited a minute or two, she was early so maybe he didn't have the time to arrive yet, however there was still no sign of him and most of the break had passed. She decided to open his locker, he had given her the number long ago even if she never used it.

She frowned when she opened the door, a few books were missing along with some other things, it looked like he had left school already. She thought that maybe something was wrong with Mokuba and he had to leave, it was the only explanation she could think about since he no longer had to leave for Kaiba Corp.

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Kaiba stretched as he patiently waited, sitting on a rather comfortable chair in front of a desk, he may not be CEO of Kaiba Corp anymore, but he still had a lot of influence around the city, money sure could buy a lot of things. A smirk appeared on his face when he heard the door behind him opening, he turned around, still smirking, to look at the middle aged man.

"What are you doing here?" The older man asked with a glare, walking up behind his desk.

Kaiba stopped smirking. "I believe I don't have to explain myself."

The man frowned as he sat in front of Kaiba. "Please, you don't really expect me to believe you came all the way here because you care for my daughter." Anzu's father said, his face showing no emotion.

"I don't have any other reason to be here." Kaiba answered.

Anzu's father only scoffed. "I'm sure you are really pained by my decision to get her away from your grasp, especially now that everyone knows of your 'relationship' with her, but I'm not going to let you toy with my daughter, I'm sure someone like you will not have any troubles finding someone else to use."

Kaiba frowned. "If I didn't care about Anzu I wouldn't be here talking with you."

"It doesn't matter what your intentions are." The elder man said with a frown of his own. "You are not good for my daughter, how can I expect you to make her happy, you don't even have 15 minutes per day to take care of her."

Kaiba raised an eyebrow at this, that was not the answer he was expecting. "In case you haven't noticed I have plenty of time to spare for her." He said

"Oh please." Anzu's father said. "Nothing is going to make me believe that you intend to spend the rest on your life doing nothing, you are a businessman after all, it's only a matter of time before you take back Kaiba Corp and bury yourself again in work, you think I didn't notice all those times you made Anzu cry by pushing her away or hurting yourself with your work?"

"That sounds almost caring." Kaiba said with a small smirk.

"I am merely doing what I must do to protect her." Anzu's father said.

"Protect her? You think that sending her away from her friends and crushing her dreams will protect her?" Kaiba said, his anger rising.

"My daughter is a fool." Anzu's father said, shaking his head slightly. "She knows nothing of the real world, if I let her do as she wishes she will run straight into a wall, I am only doing what I have to do so she won't get hurt."

"Destroying her dreams? That's what you call protecting her?" Kaiba asked.

"Dancing, do you seriously think she will be able to live happily doing this? Only few are able to make a decent life out of it, I don't want to see my daughter ending up as a bar dancer and even supposing that she does success in getting a good enough job as a dancer, she'll most likely have to move around a lot and wouldn't be able to have a decent life. Her choice of friends is no better, what can you expect the soon of an alcoholic to become in the future. I don't want them or Anzu's foolish dreams to make her waste her life away." He said sternly. "Now if you don't mind, I have a lot of work to do."

Kaiba stood up and turned around, he walked to the door but stopped in the doorway. "This morning your daughter came to me crying all the tears of her body. Do you know what I was told when I asked about you? That you hated her because of the money she made you lose and because she was not acting properly for someone of her 'rank', she thinks she is a shame for you. That's what she thinks of you according to what she told her friend and I'm sure there is a lot more she is not telling them. Is that really the image you want Anzu to have of you?" He said before leaving.

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Anzu sighed as she spotted her father's car, she walked up to it and took her place on the passenger's seat, not sparing a look to her father. "How was your day?" Her father asked after a few minutes of tense silence.

Anzu eyes him suspiciously, she couldn't even remember the last time her father inquired about how she was feeling. "Ordinary." She answered, not really feeling at ease talking with her father, usually they only argued about everything she was doing wrong.

"Are you still seeing Kaiba?" He asked after another moment of silence, even if he already knew the answer.

"Yes I am." Anzu answered defiantly. "I don't care what you think of him, but at least he cares?" She said, still looking out the window, she couldn't believe she had just said that, now she was sure to be sent away.

"He does, doesn't he?" Her father said, his gaze not leaving the road in front of him. "Actually he came to my office this morning." He said.

"He did?" Anzu said with shock, so that was where Kaiba had disappeared. "And what happened?" She asked worriedly, Kaiba had a way to make people angry and from her experience, he had a gift to make everyone hate him.

"Nothing much, we talked."

Anzu eyes her father suspiciously, what could possibly have happened to make her father suddenly so…talkative and seemingly caring.

"He made me think…actually I spent 5 minutes with him and I was unable to get back to work for the rest of the day." Anzu's father said, it was the truth, when Kaiba was about to leave he had already dismissed his discussion with the former CEO, but his last words as he left the office struck him hard. "He sure knows how to get things through people's mind."

Both of them were silent for a few minutes as her father drove through the city. "He said you cried." He stated after a while. "That you cried because of me."

Anzu's eyes widened as she stared at her father, what was he getting to, it certainly wasn't the first time she cried because of her father and he had seen her cry because of him numerous times.

"I care about you, you know? I know we never really got along, but I was always thinking about what was best for you." He said.

"What was best for me?" Anzu said suddenly. "Since as far as I can remember you have always been telling me that I should act more like a girl, that I shouldn't have boys as friends, you kept insulting them, you tried to make me stop dancing and you never listened to what I had to say, you never once supported me or tried to understand me" She said, tears were starting to fall of her eyes.

"That's what it seems." He her father said looking at her for a moment, he then stopped the car on the side of the road. "I never wanted to hurt you, I just don't want you to suffer, but I guess I have been doing a terrible job at it." He turned around and stretched his arm to get something on the back seat and put it on Anzu's laps. "Here, you are going to need it."

Anzu stared at the bag, a mixed ball of confusion and fear was starting to form in her throat, was her father throwing her out of the house?

"You have dance lessons this afternoon don't you?" Her father said with a small tired smile.

Anzu blinked as she stared at her father, he suddenly looked really old, sitting there with his eyes full of guilt, the look of someone who knew he was wrong. Anzu stretched over and hugged him. "Thank you." She said before letting go and stepping out of the car, in front of the dance studio she took her classes at.

"We will eat at 6, but you can go and see your friends if you want." He said before she closed the door.

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Since going back to school would be suspicious after missing more than a class, Kaiba decided that it was smarter to call in sick and not come back at all than to go back to school and try to explain why he suddenly disappeared and came back. He spent the rest of the afternoon thinking about his words to Anzu's father, he wasn't sure exactly why he decided to go there or where the words he said had came from, but he meant every last one of them and it made him think about his relation with his little brother. Of course the situation was slightly different considering that he almost never forbid his brother to do anything however he had to admit that most of the time he learned what Mokuba was doing from the bodyguard and he felt that lately he knew less and less of his little brother, it had been a week since he lost Kaiba Corp yet he passed little time with his little brother, as if the kid was avoiding him.

He had call his usual driver and told him he would take care of Mokuba, so he was patiently waiting for him in his car in front of his little brother's school. For the past week Mokuba usually went straight to his room as soon as he arrived at the mansion and pretended to be busy with homework but today Kaiba was going to make sure the little kid doesn't get away that easily.

Soon after the bell rang hundreds of children ran outside of the building, it wasn't long before he spotted Mokuba, he could recognize his long messy black hair everywhere. Mokuba also quickly spotted the car, but somehow he wasn't as happy as he should have been, for years he wished his brother would take some time and pick him up but now…Still, he walked to the side of the car and opened the door, sitting in the passenger seat. "Hi Seto."

Kaiba raised his eyebrow at his brother's lack of enthusiasm. "Are you alright?" He asked, starting the car.

"Yes." Mokuba answered, looking out the window.

Kaiba knew his brother was flat out lying to him but didn't push the matter any further, at least for now. "How was your day?"

"It was boring." Mokuba answered without looking at his brother. "You?"

Kaiba thought about it for a few moments. "…Interesting." He finally said with a slight smirk.

"I see." Mokuba said, still not sparing his brother a single look.

The ride home was spent in silence, Mokuba was apparently not making any efforts to talk and Kaiba was never good with small chat. When Kaiba pulled into the entrance of the mansion and stopped Mokuba got out with his bag and went straight to his room as was his new habits. About an hour later, Kaiba decided to go and check on his little brother, he went to his room and knocked on the door.

"Come in." Mokuba called back.

Kaiba opened the door, his brother was sitting in front of his desk, apparently doing homeworks

"What are you doing?" Kaiba asked.

"Homework." Mokuba answered plainly.

Kaiba frowned, sitting on the bed behind his younger brother. "Is that so, you have been doing homework a lot lately." He stated.

"I have a lot of homework, that's all." Mokuba answered.

"Come on kid, even I don't have that much homework and anyway you never did them before, you started only a week ago. What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Mokuba." Kaiba warned, he hated it when his brother would not tell him something, it pained him to be ignored by his little brother.

"Leave me alone!" Mokuba snapped.

Kaiba jumped slightly at Mokuba's sudden outburst, he stared at him and noticed that the smaller kid had lowered his head on his desk and his shoulders were shaking slightly as if he was crying. "Mokuba." Kaiba said softly as he stood up and walked up next to Mokuba, he knelt down beside him and saw tears falling from his eyes, he raised his arm to comfort his little brother but Mokuba pushed it away. "Mokuba…I know you've been avoiding me this past week, why are you pushing me away like that? Didn't you want me to spend more time with you?"

"You are only here because you have nothing better to do!" Mokuba said, turning around to look at his brother, tears were starting to fall from his eyes. "You are here now, but as soon as you'll get Kaiba Corp back I'll stop to exist again." The younger kid turned his head back to look at his homework.

Kaiba sighed, he softly grabbed his little brother and sat on the bed with him in his arms. Now he understood why his brother acted this way, he knew he would some day take back his company, and he was afraid things would turn out just as they were, he was afraid he would be hurt once that would happen so he preferred to keep his distance than to get used to having his brother around. "You never stopped to exist Mokuba, don't you even dare think such a thing." Kaiba said placing his brother comfortable in his arms.

"But you never have time for me, the only time we spent together those last few months was mostly in the principal office when I got into trouble, I need you to be around more than just during holidays." Mokuba relaxed slightly, resting his head against his brother's chest.

Kaiba sighed. "I know and I'm really sorry about it. But I'm here now, I have time now." He said, rubbing his little brother's back.

Mokuba pushed himself away from his brother to look at him in the eyes. "For how long? A week? A month? Maybe two? Then what? Things will just end up like they used to be and I'll be alone again."

"No." Kaiba said, trying to pull his brother back into his arms. "It won't be like before, I promise."

"And how am I supposed to believe you?" Mokuba exclaimed, backing away from his brother. "You promised me times and times again that you would change, that you would work less, take care of yourself and be there with me. But you never did!" Mokuba yelled. "How am I supposed to believe you? How can you expect me to be happy right now and spend time with you knowing that one day you'll be too busy again?"

Kaiba grabbed his crying little brother, this time Mokuba didn't try to get away, he pulled him in a tight hug and rested his head on Mokuba's one, small tears were starting to form in the older brother's eyes, he couldn't bear to see his little brother crying, and knowing that he was the one causing him such pain only made him feel worst. "Mokuba, I'll definitely give up on Kaiba Corp if this is what it takes to make you happy."

"Will you?" Mokuba asked, he looked up at his older brother.

Kaiba could see hope in Mokuba's eyes, the kid was seriously asking him to give it up. However Kaiba found the answer to that question easier than he first thought it would be. "Yes." He answered simply and he truly meant it.

Mokuba smiled and threw his arms around his older brother, holding him tightly, he couldn't believe his brother had just agreed to give up on Kaiba Corp. for him, he never actually thought he would. "Don't." He said letting go of his older brother to look at his confused features. "Kaiba Corp. means a lot to you, I know you like it, it makes me happy to know that you would give it up for me, but I could never ask you such a thing, I told you before that I wouldn't be selfish anymore. But you better keep that promise you just made, not just for me, but for you and Anzu as well."

"I will." Kaiba said, he felt so much better now that things were apparently solved between him and his brother. "But I'm not ready to take any action as of now, I still need more rest, and I have to fix a few things as well if I intend on keeping my promise. Until then, and even after, I intend to spend as much time with you as you want and be there for you whenever you need it."

"I'm hungry." The younger boy declared.

Kaiba smiled. "Well, I didn't have the time to do anything for dinner so…how would you like going out tonight?"

Mokuba's eyes lit up instantly and a smile appeared on his face. "Really?" Kaiba nodded with a small smile of his own. "Just let me put my things away and I'll be ready to go." Mokuba said as he began putting his schoolbooks away but by doing so, he made something fall on the ground.

Mokuba tried to pick it up before his brother saw it but Kaiba was faster, he eyes the small device with a suspicious look on his face. "So, this is what kids get for homework in elementary school." Kaiba stated, holding the PSP in his hand (I don't own by the way).

Mokuba suddenly became quite uneasy. "Yea…it teaches us how to…run fast, collect gold rings and kill monsters." Mokuba said sheepishly.

Kaiba stared at him with a blank look for a few seconds. "That had to be the lamest justification that I ever heard and trust me, I've seen lame things in my life." He said with a smile, he put the PSP back on the desk and walked out with his laughing brother.

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Ok I'm stopping down, I could have gone a little bit more, but I've had trouble writing lately and I am going out at a bar with my friends tonight as a before school reunion, we haven't been together in three months. So…no comment on the grammar please, I have to get ready so I'm making really slight check.